A Wolf's Pride
by KiraChan44
Summary: A young woman crashes her car in a snowstorm, ending up in a coma. While in her coma, she finds herself in Thedas, transformed into a wolf, and thrust into a world of magic, fighting, demons and spirits. Her husband and mom mourn; but in Thedas she finds herself inexplicably pulled towards an elf named Solas. Will she decide to find a way home or will she remain in Thedas?
1. Prologue

**AN: Welcome back guys. Sorry for my long hiatus, and sorry I've redone basically every aspect. I hope you like this version as much as the old. Enjoy! Please let me know your thoughts on this new take in a review!**

* * *

 **A Wolf's Pride**

 **Prologue**

 _"...why can't I feel you? Stay with me, don't let me go... Until the ashes of Eden fall."  
_ Ashes of Eden, Breaking Benjamin

* * *

I had been watching and following her for awhile now; the weeks, months and years blurring into a series of events that I could not turn away from. The her I had been following was called Mythal, and her people loved her as they would their mother, sister, aunt. She in turn loved them fiercely. It was shortly after she arose to power that she had caught my interest. At first I offered advice when she sought it, but over the course of time (a concept I had rarely ever considered until she had caught my interest), I was the one who sought her. I was always by her side, and that, perhaps was the beginning of my downfall.

I was a spirit. There is no word in this age for what I embodied, but it was a mixture of love, nurture, and compassion. The spirit of a mother. My earliest memories are fragmented thoughts, magic the elves had cast off with their spell casting as they recorded memories in thick tomes. Memories of events remembered by someone else can hardly be described as someone's first memory, however. My first sight memory as a spirit was of a place filled to bursting with tomes, and elves sitting at long tables, their eyes glazed as they stared rather transfixed at the blank pages in front of them. It was a good first memory.

I wandered this place I soon learned was called a library, for many years. I observed the elves, and was drawn to those who's personality mimicked my nature. I conversed with them, offered advice, and I also _learned_ from them. I learned speech, and about magic, I lived vicariously through their memories as they recorded them in their tomes.

My encounter with Mythal was quite by accident. She had been passing through, in a hurry, and had passed through me, distorting my image for a moment before the ether that composed my being gathered together once more. This had happened on a number of occasions, as elves too engrossed with recording or watching had walked through the library. They had never passed me a second glance, or offered an apology. It was not in my nature to anger, and so I thought little of it. But Mythal was different. She passed through my ether, my essence, and shivered as if she had been touched by a frost on a crisp autumn morning.

She was a striking woman. Long tapered ears, luminous green eyes, what some would say was the perfect hour glass shape, and windswept wavy hair the color of charcoal.

"I'm sorry." She said, her wide green eyes an open book to her soul. I saw her mothering instinct, her worry over becoming a queen because of her power. Her concern for the souls that were "gifted" to her from the other rulers. She did not view them as slaves as the others did, and it was in that moment that a snap decision changed the course of my existence.

"Think nothing of it."

I followed Mythal out of the library that day, and never looked back.

* * *

 **Nearly 200 Years Later**

"The babe has not moved for several days." Mythal's worried green eyes met the healer's as she caressed the small swell of her stomach. I had not left her side since I had felt the conception inside her. It had been a passing fancy; the elves I had discovered, were quite sexual beings, and these antics seldom interested me. Mythal was not sure who the father was, having spent nearly a week reveling with the other elves and sharing her bed with several different high born men, despite her bonding with Elgar'nan. He had likewise slept with many different high born women, and I had made myself scarce, as there wasn't much room for mothering during the festivities.

"Let's have a feel then." The healer's hands went expertly to Mythal's stomach, channeling green healing magic into her womb, trying to get a sense of the conditions inside her. It was still much too early for the baby to come, nearly four more moon cycles were left in the gestation.

I had told Mythal I still felt the child was alive when she had disclosed her concerns to me, but I was also worried and had told her so. The baby was not receiving life sustaining nutrients like it should be, but my knowledge was not deep enough to offer any advice other than to call for the healer. So I stood at the head of her bed as the healer went to work palpating her stomach and reading the information he gathered with his magic.

Several long seconds passed, and then the healer shook his head infinitesimally, his lips drawn in a tight grim line. "I'm afraid that the cord that feeds the child while it grows inside has detached. There is naught anything to be done but to induce labor and hope the child lives."

Mythal glanced at me, her eyes wide with fright. I placed my hand on her forehead and took some of the emotional pain away, just enough to keep the crushing weight of anxiety from swallowing her whole. She swallowed visibly, then turned her gaze to the doctor. "Give me the herbs. I will try anything to keep my child from dying."

The labor was painful, and long. It was nearly a full two days before Mythal's body cooperated and delivered the child, a girl. She was so terribly small, barely larger than Mythal's hand. Every bone stood out beneath the skin, which was blue and purple due to a lack of air. Mythal watched, her emotions a swirling dark knot of poison that dripped with horror and loss. The healer was trying desperately to stir life inside of the premature elfling, but it was a vain effort and we all knew it.

Finally the healer met Mythal's eyes, full of pity. "I'm sorry my queen, but she is gone."

Tears welled in Mythal's eyes, and her pain would have taken the breath from me if I had needed breath to survive. I was drowning in her misery and loss, feeling it so acutely I understood what it meant to by physically ill for the first time in the many years since I had formed from the thoughts of dreamers and scholars.

The healer wrapped the tiny bundle expertly and carefully, then offered the bundled corpse to Mythal. She hesitated a moment, then took the swaddled bundle. I looked upon the delicate features of the child, small button nose, tapered ears that were slightly too large for the head, purple gray pallid skin, cooling with the touch of death.

It was while watching Mythal mourn for her child that I knew what I would do with my existence. "Do not worry, _fallon_." I said, meeting Mythal's eyes as she looked at me, anguish drowning out coherent thought. I knew there was a certain amount of shock that went with losing a child, so I was not surprised to note that Mythal seemed to not understand. I reached out, wiped a tear from Mythal's face. I had been a sort of mother to Mythal for the majority of my life. I knew what my purpose was supposed to be. Now she would mother _me._

I touched the child's head, still slightly warm from the birthing, but rapidly cooling, and drew my essence into her body. Crushing blackness surrounded me, but I found the tiny heart, a little smaller than the size of a small blueberry, and breathed life into the tiny organ. Next came the lungs, inflating them with air as blood began to pump. And lastly, the center of thought, little sparks that connected all parts of the body communicating. A cry pierced my ears, _my_ cry, a pathetic sound coming from small frail lungs. I let myself be absorbed by the tiny body, allowing my essence to heal dead tissues, reforming parts and pieces that were wrong or underdeveloped, until spirit me ceased to exist, and I became the baby that Mythal cradled to her chest protectively.

* * *

 **Roughly 750 Years Later**

My bare feet slapped on gray green rock as I ran, worn smooth by the countless years the same path had been tread by countless elves. I was dreadfully late, but I had done as my bond mate had wanted, leading the Anaris and his ilk into a specially designed holding chamber, and sealing the door behind me with my blood. Now I was running for my life, and my hand went unconsciously to my flat stomach. We had agreed to wait until _after_ to have a child, but I had forgotten to dose myself several weeks ago before intimacy, and my monthly bleeding was nearly fourteen days late. I ran faster, pushing myself harder than I had pushed myself in a long while. There was nothing to be done about the possibility of pregnancy now. With any luck Fen'Harel's plan would work out flawlessly and slavery would forever be abolished, allowing us to retreat into solitude to raise our child.

A deep guttural groan threatened to swallow me as the path beneath my feet trembled as a tremor ran through the rock. The sudden shaking made me stumble, but I caught myself with a bit of force magic, neatly righting myself while barely missing a stride.

Elves that were recording and viewing memories looked around as the rock the library had been built into rumbled with a second tremor. They stared at me as I ran past, their eyes barely able to focus as they came out of their fugue state. It was the third tremor that finally put things into action. Bookcases began falling, the sound of wood splintering echoing behind me. Barely discernible over the sound of wood splintering was the sound of the pages in the books ruffling as they plummeted into the abyss below the library. A few startled cries of surprise sounded behind me, and I glanced back to see the first casualties among the nobility as chunks of rock broke apart and plummeted down to who knows where, taking the elves that had been standing there with cries of surprise and alarm.

Now the elves were beginning to react in earnest, dropping the books from their hands and following my lead. The rock was breaking apart faster than I could run, and without a second thought I cast flash step, a spell of my own invention, and blurred through the library faster than lightning. I popped out of the spell a good distance ahead, and finally the eluvian I needed to escape through was in sight. I flash stepped again, this time casting for much longer than I was really comfortable with. Not because of the drain on my manna, which was infinitesimal at best, but because I was concerned about the possibility of the child in my womb.

I came out of the flash step with a whistle and loud pop, the eluvian only a few steps away. I chanced a look behind me, and saw that several of the elves were using fade step, the spell I had taken inspiration from when creating my own, to try and beat the crumbling rock. The sad truth was that none of the elves would catch up to me. My manna reserves were easily five or six times larger than even some of the most powerful of the nobility at court, something my mother had desperately hid from everyone. She had not wanted me to lead the same life she had, and for the most part she had been successful. The only person who knew of my strength was my bond mate, but he had not seen my strength in full, and so I often wondered if he believed I was as strong as Mythal told him I was.

I activated the eluvian with a bit of spirit magic and hurriedly stepped through. The mirror shimmered blue as I stepped out into a cold dark forest on the other side. I turned, nicking my thumb in the process with a small dagger that I kept at my waist. A bead of blood welled up, and I smeared it along the top of the eluvian, channeling more spirit magic as I did so. The mirror went dark. I felt a twinge of guilt at all the lives that were going to be lost. The eluvian was sealed with my blood, and would not open again unless my blood was used as the key. I turned from the mirror without a backward glance, pulling the hood up on my cloak and reaching for my mana to cast flash step once more. It was time to meet with Fen'Harel.

* * *

Fen'Harel paced by the fire that had long since burned out. Hot coals threw out a small insignificant amount of heat, and did little to thaw the ball of ice that sat heavy in his gut. He had already waited longer than the agreed upon time, and he needed to leave so the final preparations could be made. He glanced once more at the road that his Fen'an should have already walked and shook his head. He _had_ to leave, he could not wait any longer. Hopefully he could find her tonight in the dreaming.

"Let's move out!" Fen'Harel's voice echoed around the small clearing authoritatively. There was a flurry of activity as his troops obeyed his command, and within a few minutes the camp was packed up and all traces of it had been wiped away. He looked back once more, then shifted into a hulking black wolf with red eyes that was nearly the same size as the halla his troops rode. The halla stamped and snorted with fear as he prowled through the now abandoned camp to take lead. Fen'Harel twitched his tail and took off, his troops not far behind him.

* * *

I had seriously depleted my mana traveling through lightning in my flash step, and was nearing mana burnout when I finally got to the camp. It was cold, all traces wiped clean. The only remnant of their presence was the lingering tingle of magic that is faint in the air. I shuffle around the camp, my feet whispering over the dirt, looking for any prints from the halla I knew had been here. I finally find the barest of impressions in some soft dirt and dead pine needles and sigh with relief.

My mana had rebounded in the few seconds I was walking about the abandoned camp and gathered some together to transform into a white wolf with pale sand colored markings. Fen'Harel had taught this spell to me several years ago, and we had spent many a night roaming the countryside together. I picked up the halla's scent, and found Fen'Harel's shortly after. I took off at a gallop, hoping to catch up to him before he put the final step of his plan in motion.

I spent several hours trying to catch up, but I had been too late, and Fen'Harel had too much of a lead on me. I changed course, heading for a castle that belonged to my bond mate. I knew I wouldn't make it to the castle proper before morning, but there were some caves that had been prepared as makeshift uthenara chambers on the off chance something went wrong, that I would get to in less than an hour. I pushed my wolf body to run harder and faster. I would need time to prep spells and erect wards and barriers before I could enter the dreaming to find Fen'Harel.

The cave was nestled high in the rocky crags, through a split in the rock that I had to squeeze through, despite my small stature. My mother had told me that I had been born much too early, and would have died if it weren't for a spirit friend of my mother's. Though the spirit had revived me and ensured that I thrived, it hadn't been able to force me to grow, and I was a good deal shorter that most elves.

Once I had wriggled through the split to get into the wider cavern, I immediately began setting my wards. They were unconventional to say the least. Most wards were made using ice magic, but I could not control ice for the life of me, and I had been forced to construct my own spells using lightning magic, which was my affinity. My wards were lightning runes that would shock the intruder until their heart gave out. I added a second spell that would allow the rune to recharge with ambient magic and fully reset within a minute of going off. It had taken me _ages_ to get the spell right, but no one else could copy it, and I was damn proud of my work.

I continued setting my traps, taking my time to ensure that everything was set properly. Once that was done, I erected a barrier, sealing it off with another drop of blood. I had used blood magic three times today, and though I considered it magic just like any other, my bond mate was not fond of it, and I had reluctantly agreed that I would not practice it any longer once we were bonded. I had kept my word, but to go through with Fen'Harel's plans, I had needed to use it. A necessary evil, Fen'Harel had told me.

I set another round of lightning traps and erected a second barrier. It would be near impossible to break through the first barrier, but Fen'Harel had told me to be cautious, and I was going to heed his words. I couldn't leave anything to chance. I went to the rear chamber and used my magic to construct a bed to lie in out of the rock of the cavern floor. I heaped furs that had been brought to the cavern previously onto the bed and arranged them into a comfortable mass. I slipped between the furs and fell quickly to sleep.

I found Fen'Harel quickly, he had been waiting for me. I jogged across the snowy mountain path of his dream, my feet crunching convincingly in the snow, while snowflakes drifted lazily down from an overcast sky. My breath puffed out in a white fog, though I didn't feel cold.

"Why didn't you meet me?" His voice was harsh, and I winced, though I didn't shy away from him.

"I'm sorry. Anaris grew suspicious of me and I had to try and allay its suspicions before I could get away. I made it to the caves above your castle, and I've already put up barriers and set my wards." I played with my fingers as I spoke. I knew that it had to be done perfectly, but Fen'Harel expected punctuality, and I had failed that aspect.

"Of course. Ever since I outsmarted it and Andruil in my youth, Anaris has been suspicious of me and any of my known associates." Fen'Harel relaxed his stance and offered his hand. I took it and he pulled me to him, embracing me tightly. "I was worried about you. I'm glad you've made it to safety." He whispered into my hair, and I pulled myself away enough to stand on my tiptoes so I could kiss him.

"As soon as this is done, we need to talk." I told him, snuggling into his chest.

"About what?" He trailed kisses along my jaw to my ears, and heat instantly began pooling between my thighs.

"Starting our family." My reply was breathless, and I teased in kind, molding my body to his. I could feel his want, and even though it was a shared dream, it felt so real. It _was_ real.

"You know my feelings about this." Fen'Harel sighed and pulled away from me, letting his arms drop back down to his sides. The loss of him made me feel cold, and in a pique of frustration, I banished the snow from his dreamscape, replacing it with the hot vibrant forest that was home to my mother's temple.

"You told me we could start a family once this Veil business was done." I snapped, folding my arms across my chest and taking a step back from him.

"This _Veil business_ as you put it," Fen'Harel began, his voice tight with anger, "is only the first step towards disbanding the Pantheon and abolishing slavery." He changed his dreamscape back to the frozen tundra path as he spoke, giving me the evil eye as he did so.

"But the Veil is the most dangerous part. Once it's up, there will be virtually no risk to either of us." I had to force myself to keep from caressing my navel. Fen'Harel was not naive. He would know with just that small gesture.

"I already cannot bear to lose you. If I were to lose you and a child," Fen'Harel shook his head as if to clear it. "I would not survive if we lost a child. I cannot risk it yet."

I turned my head to hide my tears. There would be no talking to him now. Perhaps once the Veil was up I could get him to reconsider, but there was no point in telling him my suspicions now. "Fine," I said, continuing to avoid his eyes. I forced myself awake, and let the tears fall.

The following day I stayed by myself in my cave. Fen'Harel and I had already agreed that I would stay put until the Veil was up if I missed the meeting. I moped for a good portion of the daylight hours, worrying over what his reaction would be when I told him we were already expecting an elfling.

I left for a few hours to hunt, nabbing a rabbit and roasting it straight away. I could eat on the way back, and leaving my fire and the inedible pieces of the rabbit behind would make sure I didn't lead anyone to my hiding place in the cave.

I gathered herbs on my way back to the cave, trying to prepare. Fen'Harel would put up the Veil tonight, a construct of his devising that would split the source of our magic from the world. Spirits would be banished, a necessary evil, but Anaris and its ilk would be banished for good, and it would lock away the highest members of the Pantheon, barring myself and Fen'Harel.

I moved carefully through the mountain terrain, stooping here and there to collect the leaves from various healing herbs, as well as poisonous ones. Neither Fen'Harel or I could fathom what the outcome would be once the Veil went up. It was all a giant unknown, and I needed to make sure I could survive any outcome.

When I arrived back at my little cave, I dispelled my wards, entered, and reactivated my electric runes. I then remade the barriers and other traps I had put up the night before. I tossed my small satchel of herbs on my makeshift stone bed, and made a table out of the stone wall to set my cooked meat on. The rabbit had been skinny, and I had already eaten most of it. All that was left was one haunch, and it would be my breakfast in the morning.

I whiled away the day snuggled in the furs; the cave was chilled and there wasn't a place for a fire. I thought briefly about making a small fireplace, but decided against it. I didn't need the curls of smoke to give away my location, and I would just have to ward the fireplace at any rate since it would create another entrance into my little hovel.

I spent the greater part of the afternoon asleep, silently watching the backlash from my destruction of the library in the dreaming. Those who weren't aware of the secret war we fought fretted over where all those in the Pantheon had gone, while others mourned the loss of loved ones. Several thousand elves had been in the library when it fell into the void, and nobody knew where they had gone, or if they had even died at all. I felt guilty, and ashamed for all the lives I'd taken when I had destroyed the library. But it had been necessary. One of the eluvians led to an uthenara chamber, and in that chamber was another eluvian that I had spelled to bring the person who walked through into a stone castle like construct. Inside that construct I had sealed away Anaris and its brethren, the mirror sealed to never open again. I had reset the pass code to get into the mirror and further sealed it with my blood and a drop of Fen'Harel's blood, the best way to make sure someone couldn't access the mirror with only one of us.

I felt the pull of Fen'Harel as he called to me in the dreaming, and I left the dreams of the other elves, following his tug on my spirit. I came to an area resplendent with trees at the height of transitioning into reds, oranges and yellows. Tall grasses waved in an imagined wind, pale green with the coming autumn. Down the embankment I was on, a large stone castle lay in the middle of a crystalline blue lake. I had helped Fen'Harel make this sanctuary, and the refugees we had brought here had made it their home. Blue spirit warriors protected this place when we weren't here to guard it. It was decorated with frescoes of Fen'Harel and I that the refugees had painted. There were also mosaics that Fen'Harel and I had added together, spelled to tell the story of how we came to make this place.

My bond mate was standing atop the hill that sloped gently down to the castle below. I walked to him, embracing him around the waist. His arms came around me and I snuggled into him, enjoying his woodsy scent; pine and sandalwood, and other herbs he used to make poultices and ointments for the men and women with him.

"I'm sorry." Fen'Harel said on a sigh as we stepped apart. "I know how much you want an elfling of your own. When the Veil is up and we figure out all of the kinks we can focus on our family." His cheeks were flushed slightly, and his blue gray eyes avoided my own ice blue ones. I couldn't tell if he was just telling me something to pacify me, or if he actually meant what he said.

"I'll hold you to that." I replied, letting him know I would not forget. My thoughts flew to the possible child already growing inside me, and I cringed inwardly. I was not looking forward to telling him, now that I knew he didn't particularly want a child at this moment. "Have you completed your preparations?" I asked after a moment, officially letting him off the hook.

"They are complete, as soon as we are done here, I will use my orb to cast my spell. Do not leave the cave until I can find you in the dreaming. It might be for the best if you go into uthenera until the spell is complete." He continued to avoid my gaze as he spoke, and I knew the reason why.

"I am not going to abandon you by going into uthenera." I snapped, stamping my foot for emphasis. "We started this together, and I will see this through with you, even if I can't be with you physically."

My bond mate shook his head at me. "If this doesn't go as planned, I need you to survive. The safest way is for you to go into uthenera. I realize I cannot force you to do so, but please do as I ask." His voice cracked, and for the first time I found myself suspicious of him. He wasn't telling me something, and ice started forming in my gut.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked in a whisper, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look down into my eyes.

"Putting up the Veil has risks, and I've told you them. The Veil will change the world, it is just unclear _how_ the Veil will effect the world. I just want you safe. Please, go and prepare for uthenara. When you wake, I will be waiting for you." Fen'Harel kissed me long and hard, effectively cutting off my reply. We pulled apart, breathless, and he caressed my cheek. His lips were turned up slightly in a sad smile, and then he was gone.

* * *

I had done partly what Fen'Harel asked upon waking. I had several herb concoctions prepared, one for blocking dreams, one to put myself into uthenera, and one concoction I had dreaded making. The herbs I would need to purge my womb. If I were to go into uthenera as my bond mate wanted, I could not be pregnant. I knew I was going to need to take it, based on my bond mate's avoidance of eye contact and how he had left me in the dreaming.

I sat on my makeshift bed of furs and stared dejectedly at the mixtures on my table. First, I would need to take the womb cleansing herbs. Once the purging began and I started my bleeding, I would need to take the dream blocking herbs to keep my bond mate away. He would know something was up the moment he found me in the dreaming. Then, lastly, the uthenera herbs, so I could sleep in stasis. I had long since mastered the magic needed to feed my body while dreaming, but I could not sustain myself and a child. I did not know when it would be safe to wake. I couldn't risk it.

My hand rested on my navel, and I mourned for the little life that I would never know. I don't know how long I sat there, but it was long enough that Fen'Harel must have cast his spell. I felt my mana draining from me. It was a slow trickle, and I wasn't yet concerned about mana burnout, but it was a large enough trickle that I felt the mana leaving my core.

I forced myself off my bed and padded to the table. My heart began racing as I took one of the small bowls I had conjured out of the cave wall. This bowl held the herbs that would take my barely conceived child from me. I felt numb as I stared at the bowl, my emotions at war in my body. I set the bowl back down and took my water skin from off the floor, I hesitated a moment, then poured some of the water from the skin into the bowl. My heart continued to thrum a staccato beat as I placed a fire run on the side of the bowl. The water began to warm, and after a few minutes the water was boiling. I deactivated the rune and stared dejectedly at my makeshift tea.

My emotions swirled as I picked up my stone bowl. I sat on my bed cradling the bowl in my lap. The ball of ice continued to grow in my stomach, and my nerves were making me feel nauseous. I swallowed, brought the stone bowl to my lips. I hesitated another moment as anguish ripped through me, and then tipped my head back and drank the tea that doomed the small being I carried.

When I had drained the bowl I threw it with all my strength, and it shattered against the cave wall with a loud stone on stone clatter. I resisted the urge to throw up the tea I had forced myself to drink, and tossed myself into the furs on my bed. I curled myself into a ball, and finally allowed myself to weep for the life I had lost.

* * *

It took nearly two weeks for my bleeding to finish, and my body was wracked by terrible pain in my gut the entire time. I was a wreck during those two weeks. I cried a lot, and I stopped eating the second day into the purge. I had taken a small dose of herbs every night to hide myself from other dreamers, specifically trying to avoid my bond mate as I slept. I gave wisps messages for him, writing messages into their being so he would know that I was alive.

With the passage of time since the Veil went up, my mana had run down to less than a quarter of my full reserves. I felt weak and powerless now, though I knew in my head that I still had enough mana to mark me as lower nobility in the convoluted caste system that would no longer exist. The first time I had gone outside after Fen'Harel had put up the Veil my jaw had dropped at the lack of greens and pinks in the sky, and when I moved through the forest, it felt as if I was wading through a fast current in a river. It felt like it took twice as long to walk places, and it only added to my helpless and hopeless feelings.

Now I was slipping into uthenera, all the spells needed to put me safely in the dreaming cast successfully, though they left me feeling empty and hollow, dizzy with the threat of burnout. It had taken a little longer than usual for my mana to rebound, and the parts of my mana core that were no longer filled felt empty and cold.

When I entered the dreaming, I was relieved to find that I couldn't feel the weighty presence of my bond mate. I wandered about, with no clear destination. I was still feeling depressed over the loss of our child, and I was not yet ready to talk to my bond mate about it.

I was in the raw dreaming, which was filled with sharp gray green rock and puddles of extremely cold water. I shaped the dreaming into a dark jungle forest reminiscent of the lush jungles around my mother's now abandoned temple. Her murder had been what had finally pushed my bond mate over the edge, and had driven him to change the world, to free the slaves and to strip our society of the caste system once and for all.

I continued my walk, paying no attention to where I was going. I don't know how long I walked, it could have been a few hours, days, weeks, or even years. There was no way to measure the passage of time in the dreaming, but I didn't care how much time passed. I had yet to feel my bond mate's presence, and I didn't know if he lived, or if he was shielding himself from me as I had done. This fact added to my melancholy, and attracted a few spirits of compassion and despair demons alike. Demons were relatively rare, and the fact that so many plagued me now made me wonder if the Veil had twisted the spirits that had resided in the dreaming.

I walked so long that I kept finding myself back in the raw dreaming, and I would change it to suit me, and travel across it until I reached the raw dreaming again. I reached the end of my dessert construct, what felt like the millionth such construct I'd created since entering uthenera, but there was no raw dreaming on the other side of the dessert. I stood on the precipice of golden sand and white sand, water lapping in the distance. I took a tentative step onto the softer sands, and was surprised at how thick the air felt, as if a barrier were between my dessert sands and the ocean sands on the other side. The ocean sand was warm from the hot sun that beat down mercilessly. I did not feel a dreamer here, nor were there spirits or demons.

Curious, I walked out onto the beach landscape, pushing through the thick, invisible barrier like substance. My mana depleted to nothing instantly, and my heart pounded as I felt the loss within me. My core ached, dark and empty, though I did not experience mana burnout. There was no feeling of dizziness or nausea normally associated with casting too much magic. I hesitated, looking back at my dessert sands. Who was I without magic? Who was I, that I had killed the child I so desperately wanted? Tears rose to my eyes. I thought of my bond mate, and how he had been despairingly absent since I had entered uthenera. What life would be left for me if I remained in the known boundaries of the dreaming?

I had heard tales of course, of dreamers who had mastered the art of uthenera, but had never woken up. The body stayed in stasis, but it was like their spirit had left and the body stayed behind, functioning, but never able to waken. Was this what they had found? Had they turned their back on everything they knew to pursue the possibility of a new adventure? I turned and looked back at my dessert sands, I thought about crossing back over to my construct, but I turned away. I squared my shoulders and took another step along the ocean sands.

* * *

When Fen'Harel finally entered the dreaming, he called for his bond mate, eager to explore the dreaming with her, to watch as history rewrote itself. But she didn't respond. He called upon spirits, keeping the terror he could feel building at bay. It took much to long to finally find the wisps that she had imparted with messages. And though they helped to allay his fears over her safety, her lack of response was still alarming.

He wandered aimlessly, watching scenes that the dreaming played out when they caught his interest. He knew that time was passing in the waking world, and still he couldn't feel his love's presence. Fen'Harel grew more and more concerned as time wore on, and he sought out his best friend to see if he knew anything.

Felessan appeared as soon as Fen'Harel called. He had long brown hair that was braided to be out of the way and luminous violet eyes that were so expressive that Fen'Harel could easily discern the emotions he often tried to hide. "Have you heard anything about my Fen'an?" He asked.

"I am unsure if this is about your bond mate, but I ran into some wisps that were coded with messages for you with the words ' _I am okay.'_ They felt like her, but there were underlying hints of sadness that were concerning." Felessan said, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"I also encountered the same." Fen'Harel said as his brows beetled in thought. He looked at the ground as his mind raced with possibilities. He looked up at Felessan and issued an order. "Find out anything you can, spirits she may have come across, or other wisps with different messages."

"Of course." Felessan said, nodding his head once and disappearing.

Fen'Harel also went on a spirit hunt, calling spirits to him and asking for their help. He soon grew frustrated as spirit after spirit could give him no information in regards to his bond mate. He was about to cast this latest group of spirits away from him when a spirit of compassion approached.

"You are hurting." The spirit said, reaching forward with its blue essence to place a newly formed hand on his chest over his heart.

" _Ma vhenan_ is missing."

"She is here, but not here. She was hurting, sad about two losses. She thought you had died when she couldn't feel you in the dreaming." The spirit spoke in a voice that was masculine, but was also soft with feminine tones at the same time.

"Where did she go?" He asked the spirit, strangling the glimmer of hope that had started to appear.

"She found the end, but also a beginning." The spirit replied.

Fen'Harel had to keep himself from destroying the spirit in his annoyance. _The end and the beginning?_ The riddle annoyed him, and he didn't know what could possibly be the end for Fen'an, but also a beginning. It couldn't be the Veil, as the spirit had said that _she found_ the end and beginning.

"It is a place that few find. She has left on a new journey, but after a time, she may come back if her hurts heal. She has a new path and purpose." The spirit read him and tried to give him a better answer.

"When will she be back?" Fen'Harel asked, latching onto the slight possibility of return.

"It is unknown, some come back quickly. Some don't come back at all."

 _Where could she possibly go where she is not here, but could come back? Did she choose to not enter uthenera? Is she blocking her dreams?_ The thoughts flashed through Fen'Harel's mind in quick succession.

"Fen'an loves you. She will come back. Give her time." The spirit took his grief as it spoke, and then dematerialized.

Fen'Harel blinked at the sudden disappearance of his grief, and though he missed his bond mate he was no longer sad. He turned and walked off into the dreaming, ready to watch how the Veil would now effect the world.


	2. Day 1

**Chapter One**

 **Day One: The Accident**

The winter storm had been unexpected, and my car was decidedly _not_ good in the snow. I was constantly sliding around on near bald tires, and even going fifteen miles an hour in a forty mile an hour speed zone was seriously killing me. I was supposed to be on my way to work, but I was already considering turning round. If it weren't for the fact that I had already traveled down the steep hill to get out of my small town, I probably would have turned around and just not gone in to work. But, my vehicle was definitely _not_ going to make it back up the hill, so the only way to go was forward.

I came down another hill, my foot pumping my breaks as I'd been taught in drivers ed to avoid losing control (or maintaining control if I did lose control), and breathed a sigh of relief when I safely made it to the bottom. I continued on my slow drive, slowing even more for curves in the road and when other vehicles approached from the other direction.

I came around a tight curve at the bottom of a hill, and wasn't traveling slow enough. My tires lost grip of the snow covered road, and I began to slide to the left into the oncoming traffic lane. Without thinking I slammed on my brakes, and wrenched my steering wheel to the right to try and get my car in the right lane.

"Shit!" I had lost complete control of the car by stomping my foot hastily on the breaks and then over correcting the steering wheel. The back end of my car swung out to the left, and I entered into a spin as I crossed back into the correct lane of traffic. I had been going too fast though, and my car was not done its perilous skid. I completed a full three-sixty spin, and the back end of the car swung around again. It felt like I was moving in slow motion, but only two or three seconds had passed.

My car went through the shoddy wood post and thick cable guard rail that had needed replacing for years, and went nose down, flattening the saplings that thickly lined the gully, careening towards the thicker pines and maples that grew at the bottom. I screamed in terror, and the impact threw me forward. My old car's air bag failed, and the last thing I saw was the black steering wheel flying towards my face before my vision went straight to black.

* * *

I woke to the sound of running water, and looked around to see a landscape I was completely unfamiliar with. A small stream cut a swath between two hillsides, fed by a small waterfall to the right. Perhaps I was thrown from the car? I got up carefully, taking stock of my body to make sure nothing was broken or otherwise damaged, and looked to see if maybe I had gone further down the gully than I thought. But my car was nowhere in sight. Honestly, there weren't any trees here either, just some pink water plants lining the stream that smelled like seaweed.

Suddenly, I was overtaken by the urge to get a drink of water. It was powerful, almost instinctual. Something inside me demanded water, _now._ As if I didn't know when I would be able to get water again. The feeling was strange, yet compelling. I looked around, looking for a good place to start a fire so I could boil the water first (I'd watched too many episodes of _Naked and Afraid_ , and feared the little micro organisms that lived in water. Even running water wasn't safe from parasites). But the instinctual pull was having none of that. I walked to the water, and against my better judgment, I bent my head over the water to take a sip. At least the water was crystal clear. I yelped when I finally got a good look at my reflection. I was a wolf! _A dream, this is just a dream!_ I thought to myself, as I backed away from the stream. _I'm knocked out in my car, that's it!_

Something crackled wetly above me, and I looked up, startled. A giant green light hung in the sky near the top of the waterfall. Bits of green gray rock poked out jaggedly, as if there was a hole in the sky itself. I stared at it in awe for a moment, before the sound of voices startled me into motion. I bolted to the left, climbing a hilly area to the right of the stream and into a wide grassy area with small rock outcroppings and patches of dirt. The small meadow was ringed by boulders and sheer rock face, funneling me towards an opening in the rock opposite from where I had come in.

I slowed my run into a trot as the flight instinct that had taken hold of me in an iron grip left, but I continued to head towards the opening in the rocks. It was the only place I could go to hide, and if the people those voices belonged to came this way, I needed to make myself scarce. I shook my head as if to clear it. _What am I thinking? This is just a dream! C'mon, wake up! Wake up!_ I forced my eyes closed and tried to will myself awake, but when I opened my eyes I was still in the meadow.

I sighed to myself and sat in the long green yellow grasses, which smelled heavenly. I closed my eyes and inhaled. My powerful nose brought a lot of information to me. I could smell the obvious hot dry grasses, the most prominent smell, but underneath that I could smell dirt, and the rich odor of decaying leaf litter. Prey had been through here, a mammal, but my wolf couldn't identify what prey animal it was. I got flashes of a pink bunny like creature, but I was unfamiliar with its name. Birds had been through here, rooting for worms and grubs. And... My eyes flew open as my wolf nose identified the scent of other wolves, and from the way my wolf self felt the urge to flee again, I knew that these wolves were not pack.

I jumped as a low growl sounded behind me, and I turned to see a black wolf with glowing emerald eyes stalking towards me, snout crinkled in a vicious snarl. My tail immediately went between my legs and my ears went flat against my head. My wolf self forced my body into a crouch, my head lowered and eyes averted to show I was submissive.

The growling stopped, and I dared to go against instinct and chanced a glance at the wolf. It, _he_ my nose informed me, was sniffing around my body, and other black wolves with the same glowing green eyes approached, their tails high in the air as they studied me. A high pitched shriek had me crouching lower, and my nose was assaulted by the smell of death, decay and sulfur. Three strong and powerful scents that made me want to gag.

I chanced another glance and saw a tall, skinny, gray and green creature with hints of flesh tone underneath. Its head looked like melted candle wax, with several holes where its eyes, nose and mouth should be. Its shape was humanoid, though dreadfully skinny looking. I could see malformed rib and pelvic bones through the grotesquely colored skin. It had abnormally long legs and arms, with fingers that curled into talons, and a long skinny tail that looked just as deadly as the fingers.

It studied me for a moment, and then I felt an intrusion in my head. Another presence that stabbed at my brain. I yelped as the feeling went deeper into my skull, and I _knew_ it was the creature, trying to meld my will to its own so it could control me as it must control the other wolves.

 _No. No! Get out of my head!_ I yelled at the thing. It screeched and recoiled, before it redoubled its efforts. My head felt like it was being plagued by a migraine, I felt nauseated and my skull felt like it was about to be ripped apart. The wolf in me had long since gone silent, so I was fighting this battle on my own.

"Look. The pack is being controlled by a terror demon." An accented female voice said, distracting the creature long enough for me to get up and run.

Something whizzed behind me, striking the rock at my side where my haunches had been only a second before. I turned to see a bolt lodge itself nicely in the rock, chips of the rock pelting my coat. I followed the path the bolt had come from and saw a small man with a crossbow, another bolt already loaded as he tried to take aim again. I was suddenly very sure he would not miss a second time.

"Varric, don't shoot that one! It's not under the demon's control!" Another man shouted. He was tall, bald and had... _pointed ears?_ I slowed my mad dash to leave the meadow as confusion and shock set in. I mean, I should have already felt that way after meeting the weird creature, but I had thought this was a dream. The pain in my head from the creature trying to possess me could not be imagined in that much detail, however. _Where am I?_

The small man _(was he a dwarf?)_ refocused his attention on the creature and the black wolves, which were currently battling a woman with close cropped black hair and a very tall woman with... horns?

The man with the pointed ears _(elf, he's an elf,)_ walked towards me cautiously, hands out in a non threatening gesture as he approached me. My wolf instincts were shouting at me to run, but I forced myself to hold my ground as I watched him warily. There was something trustworthy about him, perhaps it was his smell, woodsy with hints of herbs and the faint smell of old books and fresh ink. Or perhaps it was the feeling that I knew this man. He seemed familiar, like I had known him long ago, but had since faded from memory. That couldn't be right. I was only in my late twenties, and he was an _elf_ for crying out loud. There were no mythical races where I came from, there is no way that I knew this man, no matter how much my sense of familiarity tingled.

"Solas, what are you doing with that wolf? Kill it and be done with it." The horned woman said as she began to stride towards us, a huge two handed sword sheathed at her back. The wolf pack and creature lay dead in the grass behind her.

"Shh." The elf, Solas, hushed her, making a stop motion with his palm. "This one is not possessed by the demon. I think... I think this is a spirit. It probably came through the rift over the stream." He studied me, and carefully folded himself into a crouch, one hand extended towards me as a peace offering. He wanted me to sniff him. I could already smell him just fine, but I obliged and stretched my neck out, and sniffed tentatively. I smelled all the things I had smelled before, and dried fruits, cheese and bread, most likely the remnants of his last meal, and one other smell so faint that I had to sniff again to get a good reading. He smelled of frost, like when you step outside and gray clouds lay heavy in the air, with the smell of snow on the air. It was... weird.

"Chuckles, you must have a death wish. That is definitely a wolf. A _big_ wolf." The dwarf, _Varric_ , I reminded myself, said as he watched the proceedings intently.

"Solas, we need to go. Stop trying to tame the wolf." The horned woman spoke again, one hand on her hip in a haughty stance.

"Can we bring the wolf with us so that I may study it?" Solas turned his head and looked back at the woman, who looked a bit surprised at the question. I had a feeling that this was an uncharacteristic question for the elf.

I didn't know where I was, or _when_ I was. I had thought this was a dream, which was clearly not the case. I needed to find a way home, and this elf would perhaps be a safe companion for awhile, until I could figure out where I was and how I could get back home. I purposefully raised myself to my full height and took the few steps needed to reach Solas' side and sat pointedly next to him, staring down the horned woman as I did so, since she seemed to be the one in charge.

"Well I'll be a nug's uncle." Varric said, an amused smile curving his lips. "I think the wolf decided for you."

"I will be responsible for the wolf, if it pleases you." Solas said, his eyes boring into the tall woman with horns.

"Fine, the wolf can come." She said, throwing her hands up in defeat. She muttered something under her breath, probably obscenities from the expression on her face.

"You're sure it's a spirit and not a demon?" The woman with close cropped hair asked, looking at me dubiously. "What if it's masquerading?"

"Seeker, I think Chuckles knows the difference between a demon and a spirit. He is the _Fade_ expert." Varric quipped with a chuckle.

Solas rose from his crouch and slowly put his hand in the scruff around my neck, more to guide than to hold me by his side. My wolf self rebelled against that, and it was a fight to keep myself from snarling and snapping. I let him lead me towards his group, matching his slow stride. "This is Varric," Solas said pointing out the dwarf first. He smelled of cologne and alcohol, as well as oil, which he must use to tune up his crossbow.

"Hey Chuckles, what's the elven word for wolf?" Varric asked with a mischievous smile.

"I fail to see how that is important right now." Solas replied, his face remained neutral, but I could detect a hint of tension around his mouth, and I could hear his heart beat just a little bit faster as he replied. _Interesting._

"Well, we've got to name it. Might as well just call it wolf." Varric shrugged.

Solas debated a moment, then replied. "Fen. The elven word for wolf is fen."

"Fen... fen... fen..." Varric said the word a few times, while the woman with black hair groaned, as if choosing names was beneath her. "Nah, don't like it. It doesn't fit." Varric finally said.

"Perhaps we should figure out what kind of spirit it is and then name it." The woman with the horns said.

"An excellent idea, Herald." Solas cut in when Varric opened his mouth to reply. "This is Celeste." He continued on with the introductions, motioning to the horned woman.

I sniffed at Celeste, who smelled like a warrior. Leather and sweat, with underlying hints of blood and the sharp tang of metal, and underneath all _that_ a distinctive flowery scent that must be from the soap she used to bathe.

"And this is Cassandra." Solas motioned to the woman with the close cropped hair, who offered me a tight smile.

Cassandra smelled of fear, afraid of me, I guessed. But underneath that she smelled quite similar to Celeste. Instead of a flowery scent however, I smelled something clean, similar to Lysol spray, but not nearly at potent.

"I hardly see the point in introducing ourselves to an animal that can't talk." Cassandra scoffed, staring down her nose at me.

"That may be true, but this animal is clearly intelligent. It has already displayed that it understands what we're saying." Solas said, placing his hands behind his back as he talked. The pose seemed to come naturally to him, and reminded me of a general giving a report. I probably would have smiled if I had the capacity to do so.

"We need to go take care of the rift we saw on the way here and report back to Horse Master Dennet's wife so she knows we've taken care of her wolf problem. We need the horses that Dennet can provide. The little mountain ponies don't cut it for me, I'm much too big to ride them." Celeste said motioning for the rest of us to follow.

"I agree. Though the wolf is probably big enough for Varric to ride." Cassandra said with a smirk.

"Ha ha. That was so funny I forgot to laugh, Seeker." Varric replied as he eyed me dubiously, clearly he was picturing himself riding astride my back. A funny image if I ever saw one and I snorted with amusement.

"The wolf appears to have found it funny." Celeste said, looking back at us as we plodded out of the meadow and back down the rocky hillside.

"Spirits don't typically understand emotions, unless it is the emotion that comprises their essence." Solas said, a slight note of irritation in his voice. "So, unless this wolf is a spirit of humor, then more than likely it was just a sneeze."

"Rationalize it all you like Chuckles, but that was definitely a laugh." Varric replied as he drew his crossbow. We were approaching the green light in the sky, and everyone was drawing weapons.

"Spirits of humor no longer exist. Or if they do, there are so few that our chances of running into one are basically zero." Solas snapped, clearly irritated. _What suddenly crawled up his butt?_

"Yes, Solas. We get it. You are the expert on spirits. We must bow down to your absolute knowledge." Celeste muttered, but I could hear her clearly, and by the stormy expression on Solas' face, he had heard it too.

Solas didn't get a chance to respond as the green light in the sky expanded, and monsters crawled out of it, their green essence shooting to the ground before materializing into grotesque forms and shapes. I took a few steps back and hid behind Solas's legs. Mostly to be out of the way, but also because there wasn't anything that I could do against these monsters. And if I was being honest I was also just the tiniest bit terrified. Okay, I was a lot terrified.

"You will be underfoot if you stay there." Solas said to me, before dropping into a battle ready stance. With a wave of his hand, a blue bubble seemed to pop up around us, and a glob of fire from a creature that appeared to be made of molten lava splashed against the the bubble, making it flicker white around the impact site.

 _What in the world?_ I stared, dumbstruck as I watched the battle before me unfold. Varric stood about ten feet away from Solas and I, and was firing his crossbow expertly. His bolt flew through one of the black blobs with a singular lamp like eye in the middle of its head area. It let out an eerie growl and howl combination that made me shiver as it collapsed in on itself before turning back into green energy and streaking towards the hole in the sky.

Solas was shooting energy out of what I had first thought was a walking stick, but realized it must be a magician's staff. The energy was cold, and being so close to Solas was making me feel chilly as he he attacked the mountain of lava. Whatever he was doing seemed to be quite effective, for after just three or four blasts of the cold magic, the lava monster shrunk on itself and disappeared back into green energy.

Celeste and Cassandra each had two of the black blobs on them, and the women fought ferociously. Blades hacked into their enemies, black muck flying off the sharp blades. With Varric and Solas now free to aid the two women, the dark blobs were soon defeated and streaking back to the hole in the sky.

"Get ready for the next wave of them!" Celeste commanded, and Solas waved his hand again, the blue bubbles popping up over everyone in the party.

The hole in the sky made a noise like a silenced gunshot, yet louder and wet sounding, and more green energy streaked to the ground, monsters forming from the essence. The second round of monsters seemed to be easier to defeat, most of them being green half humanoid ghost like shapes that would streak back to the hole after one or two hits.

When the last monster had been vanquished, Celeste raised her left hand, where I saw a green glow emanate from her palm. Green energy shot from her palm and latched onto the edges of the hole in the sky. A deep, loud thrumming noise started up, gradually growing higher in pitch. Celeste closed her hand and yanked down on the green energy. There was a slick booming sound, and the hole was just gone. No more gray green rock poking out of the sky, and I didn't see any splash into the water below. I was thoroughly confused and sat on the ground, completely unaware of the mud I was standing in.

Solas turned to look at me, an expression of sympathy on his face. "You'll not want to go back to the Fade that way. Going through the rifts will be dangerous, and could warp you into a demon. It'd be best to help you fulfill your purpose, so you can cross back to the Fade safely."

It took me a moment to realize he thought I was some sort of ghost with unfinished business. I mean, they had been calling me a spirit this entire time, but now I realized they thought I was some sort of ghost that was possessing a wolf body. I growled my frustration. Being a wolf was not conducive to communicating.

Solas motioned for me to follow him, and I got up, walking with him across the stream and up the embankment on the other side. A large sprawling farm lay in the fields above the hill, and a small encampment lay on the outskirts. We headed for the camp while Solas chatted at me. "Once I figure out what kind of spirit you are, I can help you complete your purpose so you can go back peacefully to the Fade. I'll take a few days to observe your behavior, and we'll go from there."

I glanced up at the elf walking beside me. He was handsome, with small crows feet beginning to form at the corner of his eyes. He must be at least ten years my senior. I felt _attracted_ to him, and I immediately began to feel like scum. I had a husband I had not thought about once this entire time. Clay. I had thought I was dreaming, so he hadn't even come to mind. But I was nearly one hundred percent sure now that I was not dreaming. As Claire Randall had said in _Outlander, "_ I seem to have fallen through time".

But I had not gone through mystical standing stones in the Scottish highlands. I had crashed my car in a nondescript New England gully, and my air bag had failed. That had been my last thought before everything just goes blank. I have no memories after that. And, another glaring difference, I couldn't possibly be in the same universe. Perhaps I was on a primitive alien planet, where all the imagined races we had on earth were _real?_ That seemed most likely, but I didn't know anything for certain.

A feeling of melancholy stole over me as I thought about Clay. How long had I been gone? Surely Clay was looking for me. Perhaps my job had called the house looking for me? I had left early because of the snow so that I would still make it on time, and because of my supervisor position, someone would surely be calling to find out where I was. I sat where I stood, and a pathetic whimper escaped me. If I had been able, I know I would have been sobbing.

* * *

The shrill sound of the phone ringing had Clay pausing the game he was playing. If Rayne had been home she would have made a snide comment about his Grandmother calling, since she called the house often. If he was honest with himself, his Grandmother was a bit of nuisance, she almost never failed to call when the pair was just sitting down to dinner or getting in bed for sex. And if they ignored the house phone she would call each of their cell phones. And then if they ignored _those_ calls she would drive the quarter mile to their house to check on them. They had learned that the hard way.

"Hello?" Clay answered the phone, noting that the number on the caller ID did not belong to his grandmother.

"Hi, this is Kendra from Big Lots. Is Rayne there?" The voice on the other end of the phone line sounded a bit irritated, and it gave Clay pause. He checked the time on his cell phone. Just after five. Rayne should have been to work thirty minutes ago.

"No, she left here about an hour and a half ago." Clay replied, as a pit of unease began to collect in his gut.

"I tried her cell, but there was no response. Maybe she's still driving. Could you call me if you hear from her?" Kendra asked.

"Sure." Clay said, and hung up the phone without saying goodbye. He hurriedly put on his boots and threw on his jacket before scrambling out the door to his SUV.

 _I should have made her take my car instead of the death trap she drives._ Clay scolded himself as he unlocked the car and started it up. He brushed off the snow and scraped the ice from the windows in record time. He got in, cranking up the heat before turning on his headlights and windshield wipers. He connected the Bluetooth on his phone and immediately began trying to call his wife. Each call rang for an eternity before going to voicemail.

Clay swore and took off down the hill, following the road he knew his wife would take to get to work. He put his vehicle in four wheel drive for better traction, and went a bit faster than he knew he should, looking for skid marks on the snow covered road, or her silver car in a snowbank.

He saw nothing for nearly twenty minutes, and then on the right, the old guard rail was bent out of shape, the rotted wooden posts broken and metal cables laying loose on the ground at the top of the gully. Clay immediately pulled over, leaping from his car at the same time he was throwing the drive shaft into park. He ran around to the top of the gully, and his stomach plummeted to his toes while his heart leaped into his throat. He pulled out his phone and tried to call 9-1-1.

"Shit! Fuck!" Clay had no service out in the middle of these woods, and he should have known better. His carrier had great coverage everywhere, except in the little village he called home. He thrust his phone into his pocket. He would find a way to call _after_ he checked on Rayne. He scrambled down the embankment, using the already trampled saplings for hand holds.

The tail end of Rayne's car was raised above the nose, the rear tires still resting on the steep incline. The nose of the car had struck tree and ground alike, and pieces of the silver car glittered ominously in the snow drifts. The front end was almost completely wrapped around the towering pine, thicker around than Clay was himself.

Clay hurried to the driver side window, and fear and nausea fought for control. Rayne was bowed over her steering wheel, blood oozing slowly from a nasty gash on her forehead, and blood from the same wound had misted over the windshield, now cracked beyond repair. He could easily tell her nose was broken, and bruises spread over most of her face. Her legs were pinned in the wreckage, and he knew that he was not going to be able to get her out of the car. Clay fought the urge to vomit and climbed as fast as he possibly could up the embankment. He needed to find a phone.

Clay checked his phone again for service, though he knew that there wasn't going to be any. He rushed back to his car, tearing open the door. He threw the SUV into drive and had to go nearly a mile up the road before he could get any bars. He dialed 9-1-1, praying that he had found his wife in time.

* * *

I was left at the camp on the outskirts of the farm with Solas to watch over me. He had tried to get me to come with him into the tent erected farthest from the fire, but the wolf inside of me was anxious enough with all the people about, and I wasn't about to make the wolf more uncomfortable by enclosing myself in the tent.

It was like two conscious minds inside one body, and was quite disconcerting at times. Kind of like that girl from Stephanie Meyers' _The Host._ But it still wasn't the same. The wolf was still _part_ of me, like an alter ego. It knew things about this place I found myself in, like when it supplied the image of the pink rabbit thing when I had scented it in the meadow. Speaking of my wolf side, it was still thirsty, and there was some water in a little marsh like area pretty close to the camp.

I trotted to the water, immediately greeted by the salty ocean scent of the pink plants that grew at the waters edge. I looked down in the water and really studied myself for the first time. I was white, with light sandy colored markings around my face. And I was huge. I was pretty sure that I was a bit bigger than a normal wolf. It was probably the reason why some of the people at the camp had looked at me with fear and apprehension. Also, it was probably the reason why Cassandra had told Varric he could use me as a mount. His reaction had been funny, and I snorted again at the memory. I bent my head and lapped at the water, it was cool and quenched my thirst, and had a slight tang that tasted how a marsh smelled. It tasted like salt and warm mud.

"I wondered where you had gone off to." Solas' voice was unexpected and I jumped. His bare feet had made no noise on the brittle grass and I cursed myself for not paying more attention. "I was hoping you could answer some questions for me. Just a dip of your head for yes would do."

I sat on the grass on the edge of the water and dipped my head. _Fine._

"Excellent." The elf sat next to me, folding his legs crisscross.

I stared at him, waiting for his first question. He seemed to be taking a moment to gather his thoughts, staring at me so intently that I shifted my paws nervously. _Why is he scrutinizing me so closely?_

"Are you a spirit?" He asked, his eyes boring into mine intently. "You seem to be a spirit, or a mage who is quite good at play-acting. Mages who can shift are quite rare, the last known one being the Hero of Ferelden, who has mysteriously disappeared."

I sat still as he talked, my mind swirling. _Mage? That must be what Solas is. He was using magic to defeat those monsters. And where on earth is Ferelden? I've certainly never heard of such a place. Even if I had, magic doesn't exist where I come from._

I didn't know how to answer him. I wasn't a spirit, by I also wasn't a mage. I finally dipped my head for yes. Saying I was a spirit was going to be easiest. I didn't have a better way to explain my circumstances, and I couldn't exactly talk to explain this.

Solas regarded me speculatively for several moments, and again I felt uncomfortable under his penetrating gaze. Several seconds went by before Solas dropped his gaze. His shoulders slumped a bit, as if in defeat, and then he shook his head as if to clear it, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so.

I regarded him quietly as he dealt with his inner turmoil I laid down beside him, placing my head in his lap, and curling my tail around his back. He put his hand on my head, and sighed.

We stayed that way for awhile, until Solas finally stood up. I followed his lead, matching his pace as we walked the short distance back into camp. The people that were here when we arrived were busy making a meal of stewed meat with herbs and fresh baked hearth bread. Berries and other fruits sat on a wooden plate that was atop a makeshift table, a blue symbol etched into the wood. I stuck my nose against the symbol that was carved into the plate out of curiosity, and came away with a nearly frozen nose. I rubbed at it with a foreleg, trying vainly to warm it up a bit.

The sound of laughter made me pause in my nose rubbing, and I glared at Varric, who sat across from me by the fire. How was I supposed to know that it was a cold symbol? I wasn't from here. This was probably not going to be the last time I acted like a bumbling idiot either. I hurried over to Solas, who was also sitting at the fire and flopped down at his feet, giving Varric the evil eye as he continued to smirk at me.

"That's not a very bright spirit if you ask me." The dwarf quipped, a Cheshire cat grin curving his lips. "Doesn't even know what a cold rune is for."

I growled at him before laying my head on my paws. I glanced at Solas, who looked at me with a frown on his face. _Great. Just great._ I thought to myself. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Clay stared at his wife's broken body. She had extensive injuries and was in a coma. Her nose had been so badly broken that the bruising on her face traveled from her nose to ring around her eye sockets, and minor bruising was along her brow. Her legs were both broken in multiple places, as well as her right arm. Her ribs were cracked and bruised, and a myriad of scratches marred her beautiful face.

He sat in the chair that had been placed next to her bed and scrubbed his face with his hands. The doctors had done all they could do. The rest was up to Rayne. He hoped she would come back to him, they had been married just shy of two years and had been seriously discussing adding to their family. She wanted to adopt. He wanted to create a child with her. Though their different views had left them at an impasse, they hadn't fought over the subject.

 _A child wouldn't have changed this situation._ Clay knew that even if they had an adopted child, or if Rayne had been pregnant, she still would have attempted to go to work. She had a strong work ethic, and would have gone into work regardless. She was ambitious, and wanted to be the manager of her own store one day.

Clay got up and paced a few steps, haggard with stress and worry. It had been almost a full day, and he had yet to go home to take care of their dog, a lab mix who he had named Bruce despite Rayne's protests. She had not been fond of the name. Clay chuckled to himself as he remembered her outrage over his proclamation. She had spent several hours trying to change his mind, but he had been stubborn. Rayne had finally caved, insisting that the dog's name would be Bruce Wayne, after Batman. Clay had allowed it, if only to make his wife feel like she won.

"Clay."

He turned to see his mother-in-law standing in the door, her curly brown hair a wild and unruly crown about her head, and her chocolate brown eyes were filled with tears. "Heidi," he said, stepping towards her and wrapping her in a hug. He heard her choke back a sob, and when she pulled away from him, the tears had started falling.

"What did the doctors say?" Heidi's voice wavered as she asked her question.

Clay sighed and his shoulders drooped. "She's in a coma. They don't know when, or if she'll wake up."

A real sob escaped his mother-in-law, and she moved past him to go to Rayne's bedside. She gasped as she took in her daughter's crumpled and bruised appearance. She fretted over her daughter, hands flitting above Rayne's body before clasping her hands together in front of her and sitting heavily in the chair.

Clay pulled up a second chair, and they sat together in silence, hoping and praying that their loved one would wake.

* * *

That evening, I found myself with Solas, keeping first watch. Celeste had come back from the farm just after everyone at camp has started in on dinner. With her were four horses, and news that Dennet would supply more horses and come to a place called Haven to tend to the mounts.

I laid at Solas' feet as he polished his staff. He seemed to be deep in thought, ignoring me for the most part as he fiddled with his belongings. This world was a bit frightening, with monsters and magic, and races other than human. It was a lot to take in, and it was a wonder I wasn't in shock. I had made one decision since waking up here, and that was to stick as close to Solas as possible. He was _smart,_ and was my best chance of finding my way home. He believed I was a spirit, crossed over to this world from a place called the Fade, and it was as good an explanation as any.

I shifted at his feet, the ground not being the most comfortable place to lay. Solas paused in his polishing and our eyes met for a brief moment before he spoke. "You are quite large for a wolf, aren't you? Nearly twice the size of the average black wolf found in this region." It sounded almost like he was accusing me of something. I couldn't fathom what that would be though. It wasn't like I _chose_ to wake up as a wolf. With no way to answer him, I just continued with our staring contest.

Solas finally broke eye contact so he could take care of his polishing supplies, and I rose to my feet. I was thirsty again, and hungry. I walked to Solas' pack, stashed just inside his tent, and dragged it out, laying it at the elf's feet. He looked at me curiously as he stooped to pick up the pack. I nosed at the flap, I could smell jerky in there, and bread. Also a nut and berry mix, which was most likely consumed like trail mix. Solas opened the pack for me, and I stuck my head in there, groping with my mouth for the piece of cheese cloth that would be hiding his jerky. I found it finally, over she sharp scents of herbs and poultices, at the very bottom on the pack. I gently took the cheesecloth in my mouth and pulled it out, depositing the bundle into Solas' hand when he finally reached for it.

"You're hungry." It was a statement, not a question. I yipped softly in agreement, and Solas unwrapped the meat. He fed me a few strips, then rummaged in his pack again, pulling out another cheesecloth wrapped parcel. He opened it to reveal a chunk of bread, which he tore in half, offering one of the halves to me. I took it from him gently and had it gone in seconds.

"That's all you get. The rest has to last me through the day tomorrow. You'll have to get food from the others if you get hungry after meals." Solas stashed the rest of his food, and went to replace his pack in his tent. I went to the little marshy area and had another drink of salt-dirt water.

I heard a shuffling from the tents, and the fur along my spine rose. I stalked silently from the water and moved towards the tents. My tense posture relaxed when I realized it was Cassandra leaving her tent, preparing for her turn on watch. I padded back to the fire on silent paws and sat by Solas as Cassandra made her way to the fire.

"How is it that you can befriend demons?" Cassandra asked as she took a seat across from Solas.

"This is a spirit, not a demon." Solas replied as he got up from the log he was sitting on. I rose with him, walking to the grouping of tents ahead of him.

"Hardly a difference." Cassandra muttered as Solas began to walk away.

"There is much more separating spirits from demons than you know, Seeker." Solas bit out, glaring at her over his shoulder before he continued on to his tent.

* * *

Solas regarded the wolf that was curled at the foot of his cot. She was definitely _not_ a spirit, even if that's what she claimed to be. She had hesitated a fraction of a second too long in answering when he had asked if she was a spirit. That with the fact that she had been hungry enough to seek out his pack for food mixed with the fact that she was now sleeping made Solas believe that the wolf was nothing more than a pretender. Spirits did not need to eat or sleep. Spirit essence could feasibly sustain a body indefinitely if it were a mere possession. The spirit would have no need for sleep however, and he did not overlook the fact that she now snored softly from the foot of his bed.

He wondered where she had come from. It was obvious that she was fascinated by every day things and happenings, as if she had never experienced them before. He had caught her often staring at Varric, Celeste and himself as the evening wore on, but she seemed to pay little attention to the humans in the camp, including Cassandra. It was possible that she herself was human and had not had an opportunity to meet other races... No. That wasn't it either. Even if she were living someplace remote, she would have chanced upon another race many times over before she got to Ferelden. The Circle elves were everywhere, so she would have got her gawking done as she passed through.

Since she was sleeping, and it was well known that dwarves didn't have magic, it was reasonable to suspect he could find her in the Fade. He might be able to observe her dreams and figure out who or what she really was. Solas hoped so. When he had first laid eyes on her he had thought she was a spirit and vouched for her. If it turned out that she could be harmful to the budding Inquisition... He shuddered at the thought. Any mishaps she had or caused he would have to take the blame for. Solas wasn't about to let a wolf jeopardize what he was hell bent on accomplishing. Retrieving his orb from Corypheus.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I apologize for all the POV changes, its just easier for me to write out as I show the passage of time. So far things are mostly the same as the first attempt at this. Now we have a prologue for a bit of a back story on Solas and his past relationship, and this chapter is a bit more broken down. Next chapter they'll be on the road from the Hinterlands towards Haven, which based on maps from Origins I estimate takes about three to five days depending on how fast one travels. Some changes you'll note in upcoming chapters include: the rift sickness changes (still there, just different from how I had it before), Solas doesn't figure out how to force Rayne to change like he does in my first attempt... and you'll just have to keep reading to find out the rest!


	3. Days 2 & 3

**Chapter 2**

 **Days 2 & 3**

Solas woke the following morning with more questions than he had answers. The wolf had a strong, forceful presence in the Fade, which made it more likely that she was actually a mage, and not a spirit. Well... _he_ knew that the wolf wasn't a spirit, but that wasn't going to do him any good now. He could appeal to Celeste, say he was wrong. But that would open him up to teasing from the others, and he was sure that some members of the Inquisition would question his _authority_ on the subject of the Fade. That was an embarrassment he didn't need.

None of that mattered unless he said something. What did matter for now was that the wolf's sleeping mind was _inaccessible._ He couldn't reach her no matter how hard he tried, she didn't come when he called to her, and her sleeping thoughts were a gray bubble that couldn't be penetrated. He had tried for most of the night, casting spell after spell to try and infiltrate the bubble she had cocooned herself in. Nothing had worked, not even his attempts to alter the bubble itself. He had been beyond frustrated. Only another dreamer as powerful as he was, if not more powerful, would be able to shut him out of their dreams so completely.

The sounds of the wolf stirring made Solas shake his head and put his thoughts away for consideration later. He cast his furs aside and stood up from his cot, stretching as much as he was able in the small space. The wolf copied him, stretching her forelegs out with rump in the air as she yawned. She rose from her stretch and walked to the tent flap, waiting for him to open it. Solas untied the flaps and the wolf took off, circling around behind the tents and up the embankment at the back of the camp. He assumed she was going to relieve herself, and Solas had half a mind to follow her. He too could use a chamber pot... or a tree.

Instead Solas left the tent in search of breakfast, cold hard boiled egg rations and fruit purchased from the farm. Rations meant that Celeste planned on leaving soon, and with the new mounts it would hopefully take less than a week and a half. It had taken that long to get here on their trip down from the little mountain village. They had already been in the Hinterlands for nearly two weeks since arriving, establishing camps, closing rifts and doing odd jobs to help the refugees of the Mage Templar war. It was tedious work, and it was obvious that Celeste and her entourage were tired from the constant travel. Everyone had dark circles under their eyes, and tempers had been short in the last few days.

Solas was popping the last bite of egg into his mouth when the wolf reappeared in the camp. She made a beeline for him and sat at his feet, her tongue hanging out of her mouth. He had been waiting for her return, and placed two cold eggs with a mound of blueberries on the wooden plate he had been using for his own breakfast, and placed it on the ground. She looked at the plate for a moment, and then up at him, her eyes accusing.

"That's your portion of rations this morning. If you want more you'll have to hunt or beg for snacks. I told you this yesterday." Solas' tone had a smug 'I told you so' factor to it, and the wolf crinkled her nose with displeasure.

* * *

Solas was considerably more... confrontational this morning. I wondered at what his change in attitude was, but was much too hungry to really ponder it. I ate the eggs and blueberries that he offered, polishing off the pathetic meal in a matter of seconds. If what everyone else said was true, that I was easily two times the size of a normal wolf, then I probably needed a lot more than two hard boiled eggs and a handful of blueberries to survive.

I wasn't going to be able to hunt for a couple reasons. First off, I had no idea how to hunt. I knew the mechanics of it from reading and watching survivalist shows, but actually putting those methods into practice? I highly doubted I would have the finesse needed to take down another creature. If I was truly honest with myself, I probably wouldn't have the stomach for it either. My second dilemma, _how_ would I kill another creature? Snap its neck? Strangle it? I shook my head to clear it as my thoughts continued to race. I would be a pathetic excuse for a wolf indeed if anyone saw me trying to hunt.

The sound of horses snorting and nickering startled me out of my thoughts, and I looked over my fury shoulder to see the beasts being saddled for travel. Solas was going over the horse that had been given to him, a brown mare, checking the tack, and making sure the horse's coat was free of burs and other annoyances before throwing a saddle blanket over the creature's back. I sat and watched him work for a moment, before my tail was carelessly trod on by a booted foot. I yelped loudly, standing up and whipping round, tail tucked against my belly as I stared at the scout. She looked horrified, like I might decide to pounce and devour her for my second breakfast.

"What happened?" Celeste called from her place by the horses.

"It was an accident! I swear!" The scout replied, her horrified gaze not leaving mine.

"Pay more attention next time." Celeste admonished the scout before turning her gaze to Solas. "I thought you said you were going to be responsible for the wolf Solas?"

"I do take responsibility for her." Solas dipped his head in affirmation, his gray blue eyes flicking to mine momentarily before refocusing on Celeste.

"Then keep her close to you, so we can avoid any more accidental injuries." Celeste said, her tone hard and slightly biting.

"Of course Herald." I could tell from Solas' tone that he was less than pleased with Celeste. I tried to look like the good obedient wolf and went to Solas.

The horse that he was preparing to mount regarded me warily, I could see the whites of its eyes as they bugged out, and it stomped its foot several times in protest. Solas hushed the beast, his hands glowing faintly blue as he ran his hands over the horse's coat. The animal calmed under his touch, and Solas waved me closer.

I hesitated, but moved closer. The horse tossed its head, and I paused, but Solas hushed the horse again and I continued walking forward. I began to think everyone was right about my size as I stood nose to nose with the horse. The horse didn't need to move her nose down too far to touch my own nose. And now that I thought about it, when I had come across the wolf pack yesterday, I had been taller than the other wolves. Even when I was crouching low to the ground I hadn't made myself smaller than the other wolves. If my crouching form is the same size as a wolf standing at full height, I had to be nearly two times the size of a normal wolf as Solas had suggested the evening prior.

Solas coaxed his horse's snout down to my own, and she tentatively sniffed me. I wagged my tail, though I really had no clue how animals communicated. How was I supposed to tell the horse that I was friendly? Solas continued to use the light blue magic to calm the horse, and then after a fashion he mounted. The horse shifted her feet, but otherwise remained motionless. It seemed Solas had convinced the horse to accept me for the time being.

"As long as you stay by me, you'll be fine. I'll have to introduce you to the other horses after we stop for lunch." Solas said as he looked down at me. I dipped my head, the only means of communication we had established. Solas seemed to get my meaning, and nodded once at me as Celeste raised her voice so the entire camp could hear her.

"It's time for us to return to Haven. We've closed the rifts here, and I'll need to reconvene with the Inquisition founders as to our next step." Celeste paused a moment to mount her own horse, and Cassandra and Varric followed suit. "Those of you staying behind to maintain the Inquisition's presence will be our eyes and ears. Leliana will be expecting timely reports." The remaining handful of scouts and soldiers nodded their heads in acknowledgment. Celeste spurred her horse forward, and the four of us followed.

Celeste set a good pace up the road, which was little more than a dirt track littered with rocks and boulders. How a caravan was supposed to pass through here, I couldn't even begin to imagine. It was relatively easy for me to keep pace with the horses, though Solas stayed several paces behind the others. He probably thought my presence would spook the other horses, and he'd most likely be right.

The silence stretched out between everyone, no banter or chatting for me to listen to, and the sound of the horses hooves lulled me into deep thought.

We were going to a place called Haven, where the Inquisition's base of operations seemed to be. I had pieced this together through bits of conversation I had heard the day prior, and I wondered at how small the Inquisition must be if they were using a village as their base. My mind didn't dwell long on the Inquisition though. What preoccupied my mind for most of the morning were thoughts of my family.

Had my body been found? I was sure Clay would have searched for my car already. Had he found me? Was I even _alive_ back home? I had no way of knowing whether or not I had been found. I could only assume that my body existed back in New Hampshire, and it was my hope that my body still existed.

I wanted to get back to Clay and my parents. We were planning to have a family. Clay really wanted to make a child with me, and I wanted to adopt. We had been at an impasse on the subject, but I promised myself that once I was back home that I would try to conceive naturally and perhaps adopt later. I would do anything to be back home with my husband and parents.

Clay and I had what I considered to be a fairy tale relationship. We had met in high school, after I had been placed in the wrong math class. It had taken school administrators nearly three months to clear up the confusion with my math placement, and because they had dragged their heels for so long, I was told that I would have to receive an F for the year for that class. I had elected to keep the math class to avoid the F on my transcripts.

I had been immediately friendly with Clay during our shared class, though I was a junior and he was a freshman. It had taken several months before I could actively engage him in conversation, but once he got over his shyness, we were fast friends. I would go to the home football games to support him, and it was nearly spring before we even exchanged phone numbers, though we hadn't sent texts often afterwards.

That summer, before my senior year, I went to work at an overnight summer camp, and we stayed in touch a couple times a week. I had terrible cell service at the camp, and I would try desperately to get a signal from a giant rock in the middle of a field we used often for games. I would fuss around with my phone long enough to get one or two messages out, and often times I didn't get a response, but that didn't stop me from trying. I found out later that Clay had no idea how to respond to my messages, he'd never been actively pursued by a girl before, and that was the reason for the lack of responses. He'd lied first, saying he lost his phone, and looking back at that made me smile.

We met again on the first day of school, and I swear he was more handsome than I remembered. Only a few days into the new school year I had asked him out, just before his first football game of the school year. He had said yes, and we'd been together ever since. We'd been married after seven years together, and now we'd had each other for a total of ten years. Most people I talked to in modern days didn't have relationships that survived long after high school. I attributed our success to our devotion and support of each other. And the fact that we both stayed local after high school when it came to college.

I reminisced about the early days of our relationship, how cute he was the first time I tried to kiss him. He had quietly rebuffed my advance, putting his forehead to mine, and searching my eyes for a moment before wrapping me in a hug outside my class room door. Then he was gone. We had shared many chuckles over this in later years, because he had never been in a relationship before and didn't know I was after a kiss.

And all the times I invited him to touch me, my breasts especially. He would shake so hard with nerves, wracked by tremors that had made me giggle at him. When he got used to touching over my clothes, I had put his hand under my shirt and the shaking had begun all over again. It was cute and endearing, and just so _innocent._ He was a virgin in every sense of the word, and it was a joy to teach him how to explore and pleasure my body.

It wasn't long before I was corrupting that boy irreversibly. About three months into our relationship, around the time of his sixteenth birthday, we slept together for the first time. We gave each other our virginity, and after that we were at it in every spare moment we had. We snuck around his parent's house, finding places where we could be intimate with minimal interruptions. We had been nearly caught by his parents several times, and it made the game even more fun.

Oh, how I missed those days. When love was new and thrilling and we were finding more ways to pleasure the other. Now that we'd been together ten years, our sexual discoveries were few and far between, though we still had fun whenever we had sex. I yearned for Clay now, the way he would caress me in just the right way, the way he would nibble my earlobes before trailing kisses down my neck.

My pace faltered a moment at the memory, and even though I was a wolf, the memories had still aroused me. I fell behind several paces and tried to force memories of our lovemaking away. They wouldn't help me now, and my stumble had Solas looking back at me with his brows drawn together. I quickly caught back up as Solas opened his mouth, most likely to call to Celeste, but shut it when I drew alongside his horse again.

"Are you injured?" Solas asked quietly. My wolf hearing picked up his voice easily over the sound of hooves pounding the ground.

I shook my head for "no" and we continued on.

* * *

Around lunch time, we stopped at another Inquisition camp, nestled at the top of a hill. It had a great view to the valley below, and the giant boulders that littered the hillside. Celeste had made a good decision stopping here for lunch; picking our way down the hill on the horses was going to be tiresome.

Solas dismounted and hobbled his horse, and I followed him dutifully as he took a place by the fire. I sat at his feet as he rummaged through his pack. I was feeling particularly hungry now, the pitiful meal of rations for breakfast had not done much to keep my hunger at bay.

The elf paused in his rummaging to look at me, and his lips twitched upward briefly in an amused smile as I licked my lips and scooted just a few inches closer. I seemed to be always hungry now. Solas waved and got the attention of one of the scouts. He came closer, regarding me warily, as Solas instructed him to give me any food they could find in the camp. The scout moved off to do as he was bid, and Solas pulled his own lunch of fruit, bread, and cheese out of his pack.

After a few minutes, the others had made themselves comfortable around the fire, and I had a meal of leftover breakfast scraps and dried meat placed in front of me. I dug in, making short work of the meal, as it seemed all animals did. I licked my lips after I finished, a trait that most canines seemed to share and curled up at Solas' feet as I listened to the others chat over lunch.

"So, what will be the first order of business once we reach Haven?" Varric asked around a mouthful of dried meat.

"I'll need to report about our activities here in the Hinterlands, and then we'll need to discuss traveling to Orlais to address the Chantry." Celeste replied, shifting on the log she had sat on. She scratched absentmindedly at her black hair, braided into cornrows that followed the curve of her horns.

"Yes, we need the Chantry's support." Cassandra added, popping a blueberry leftover from breakfast into her mouth.

"An uphill battle, if I ever saw one." Solas replied as he wrapped up the remainder of his food. "They've declared the Inquisition heretical, and you, Herald," his eyes flicked up to Celeste for a moment and studied her, "a false prophet for the claims that Andraste herself handed you out of the Fade."

Celeste rolled her eyes and groaned. "I've never claimed to be holy." She grumbled, wiggling the fingers on her left hand as her palm sparked with green energy. "I can't even remember what happened." She grimaced as if with pain as the green energy dimmed to a barely discernible light.

"Does the mark still pain you?" Cassandra asked with concern, her brows drawn together as she regarded Celeste's left hand.

"Not when it's laying dormant as it is now." Celeste said as she picked up the remnants of her lunch. "When we get near a rift it feels like my nerves go on fire, and closing a rift..." Celeste paused in thought and studied her hand. "It's a white hot burning pain that lingers for several minutes after I close a rift."

"That sounds most unpleasant." Cassandra muttered, shaking her head in disapproval.

"It is." Celeste agreed. She had finished repacking her pack, and set it at her feet.

The group descended into silence, and lunch was finished quickly. Solas excused himself from the group, motioning for me to follow. I got up dutifully and followed him to the horses. I was introduced to each of the mounts, until all the horses tolerated me with minimal fussing. Solas mounted his horse once the introductions were over, and the rest of the party slowly wandered over and mounted as well. Once Celeste had mounted we were off again, this time at a slow walk, so we could navigate the treacherous, boulder strewn path.

* * *

Clay stared forlornly at Rayne. The bruising looked worse today than it did yesterday, and her nose was still dreadfully swollen from the break. She remained still and unmoving, the only hint of life the slight rise and fall of her chest and the steady beep of the heart rate monitor.

Heidi remained on the couch under the window, a bag of toiletries for Rayne beside her. She was reading a magazine to pass time, and though she looked utterly relaxed at first glance, Clay could see that her shoulders were stiff and she wore a habitual frown that lined her mouth and drew her browns together. She glanced up at him, feeling his gaze on her, and closed the magazine and set it aside.

"I've been reading the same page for at least five minutes." She said on a sigh.

Clay offered a weak smile and got up from his chair next to the hospital bed. He scrubbed his face with his hands and let out his own tired sigh. "I'm going to get lunch. Do you want anything?"

"I'll come with you." Heidi rose from the couch, stopping briefly to look at her daughter, so small and frail in the hospital bed. She caressed Rayne's cheek gently, a sad smile curving her lips. "We'll be right back sweet heart."

"Shouldn't one of us stay? What if she wakes up?" Clay protested briefly as Heidi straightened and made her way towards her son-in-law.

"It will be a nice surprise for us." Heidi said, linking her arm around Clay's and firmly tugging him towards the door. Clay looked back at his wife with anguish, but followed Heidi as she tugged him out of the room.

The hospital cafeteria was relatively empty; their lunch being a little on the late side. There was a wide selection of fresh made food, and Clay browsed through the menu. His gut was currently churning with nerves, he didn't think he would be able to eat much, and opted for a small Caesar salad with a bottle of water. It seemed Heidi was of a like mind, grabbing a garden salad, a packet of ranch dressing, and an iced tea. Clay paid for both of the meals, ignoring his mother-in-law's protests, before the pair made their way back to the hospital room.

A nurse was leaving as they were about to enter, and offered them a small smile. "Her vitals are all normal. I've changed her saline bag, and someone will be back in a few hours to check on her again."

"Thank you." Heidi offered the nurse a weak smile, then pushed past her to enter the hospital room.

Clay followed behind and was relieved to see that Rayne was exactly how they had left her. He resumed his post next to his wife's hospital bed, and began his late lunch. The only sound in the room for the longest while was the steady beep of Rayne's heart rate monitor and the quiet crunch of leafy greens.

Neither Heidi or Clay had much stomach for food though, and the remains of both salads were tossed into the trash. Clay took his wife's hand in his own and kissed the back of it before clasping it tightly between his own hands.

"Please," he whispered, hazel eyes pleading with the still form in the bed, "please come back to me."

* * *

That evening we stopped at a lake; in the distance a stone tower rose out of the calm waters, and I couldn't help but wonder what the tower was used for. It looked sad and lonely by itself. Solas must have noticed my intrigue, because he had walked to my side. He stood facing the tower, his eyes dark.

"That is Ferelden's Circle." Solas explained, his hands clasping together behind his back. I noticed he always seemed to stand this way when he was educating or lecturing. It was endearing, even if it did make him seem like a know-it-all.

 _A Circle?_ I tilted my head as I looked up at Solas. I didn't have a way to ask him to elaborate, so I whined to get his attention. He looked down at me and gave me a quizzical stare.

"You _have_ heard of Circles?" Solas asked.

I shook my head no, and Solas regarded me with wide eyes. He studied me for long seconds, his gray blue eyes boring into me. I looked away from his intense scrutiny, sure I would be blushing if I had been human. It wasn't my fault I didn't know anything, I wasn't even _from_ here.

"The Circle, also called the Circle of Magi is where mages are brought to learn magic." Solas began, his voice hard with disdain. "It is really little better than a prison run by the Templar Order and overseen by the Chantry. Children are ripped from their families, never to see them again if they show any magical ability." His voice was colored with anger, and when I glanced up at him I could see the fire burning in his eyes.

"Solas!" We were interrupted by Celeste, who was trying desperately to get the elven mage's attention.

Solas turned away from the Circle tower and walked towards Celeste, who was talking at him and gesturing towards a mound of skins and timber. Solas regarded the mess and waved his hand nonchalantly. The items on the ground rose and then flew through the air, until two sturdy tents had been formed and stood fully erected on the grass.

I left the waters edge and followed Solas as he headed for a patch of forest. It became obvious he was gathering wood after only a moment, and I trailed behind him. There wasn't much I could do to help since I lacked my human arms, and my mouth wasn't big enough to drag more than a few good size limbs. I did my best however, making several more trips than Solas did, depositing my sticks and other wood I deemed big enough to burn into haphazard piles near the fire pit that Cassandra had dug in the grass.

When the pile of wood was a decent size, Solas started the fire, calling the flames to his fingers and igniting the dry wood with ease. The fire crackled merrily, and it was then that I noticed Varric stalking off, his crossbow at the ready as he slipped quietly into the shadows of the forest. I maneuvered around the fire, following slowly, as I watched him disappear entirely.

"Shall we join Varric in the hunt for our dinner?" Solas asked, drawing up next to me. He regarded me with eyes that seemed to bore into my soul, before he blinked and stalked off. I hurried to catch up, trailing him as quietly as possible.

It took nearly an hour before our small hunting party came across any animals. Solas had spotted it first, a large white and brown ram that grazed beneath a tree. He whipped his staff over his head, and a ball of blue frost erupted from the clear stone at the top. The spell coated the ram and the tree it was under in a layer of frost.

The ram bleated pathetically, and tried to bolt off. Solas' spell had frozen its hooves to the ground however, and Varric was able to knock a bolt and fire it off with ease. The poor ram never had a chance. The bolt flew true, punching through the animal's chest and lodging neatly in the frozen tree. The ram toppled over, sagging against the tree. It was kept from falling entirely to the ground by its legs, still frozen stiff with Solas' spell.

Solas and Varric approached their kill, and I followed. I had been useless on this hunt, following the other two as I watched the proceedings with interest. It seemed my uselessness was going to be remedied however. As Varric bent to begin gutting the kill, Solas thawed the ice gripping the ram's legs. It finally finished crumpling to the ground and Varric sliced into its stomach with a dagger. Solas on the other hand pulled a length of rope from his pack.

"Come here." He said to me, waving me towards him. I obeyed, sitting at his feet. He wound the rope around my chest and stomach, fashioning a harness. When he was done he assisted Varric, digging a hole in the forest floor and unceremoniously dumping the entrails the dwarf had removed. The pair worked in silence until they were done.

"If we cook all the meat tonight, it should last us until we reach Haven." Varric commented as he used his water skin to wash the blood off his hands.

"Indeed." Solas said as he began lashing the ram's legs together. "We should be at the base of the mountain by nightfall tomorrow as long as we ride hard. It's fortunate that Dennett's horses are bred for long distance traveling."

"It _was_ hard keeping up on the way here. Walking on foot was atrocious, and I will be happy if we never have to travel that much on foot ever again." Varric said as he watched Solas work.

"I imagine it was hard keeping up with those short legs of yours." Solas said with a smirk as he finished tying the ram's legs.

"Oh ho!" Varric said with a laugh. "Since when did you learn how to tell a joke Chuckles?"

"I have always possessed the ability." Solas replied as he fastened the length of rope connecting the ram's legs to the harness he had fashioned for me.

"I think I'm rubbing off on you." Varric said with a laugh as Solas finished his knot tying. The elven mage didn't reply, but his lips were still quirked up in a smile.

The pair lapsed into silence and headed back the way we had came, with Solas taking the lead. I moved to follow, dragging the ram. It was surprisingly heavy, but it was not too much of a burden, and I kept up with the pair relatively easily.

* * *

That night I dreamed. I had not dreamed the first night, or if I did I didn't remember it. I walked through a hospital, the scent of antiseptic, sickness and an underlying hint of feces assaulting my nose. I _hated_ hospitals. I hated seeing anyone I knew or loved in hospital beds. Whoever layed in them looked weak and pale. Not like the strong person I knew them to be.

I roamed the halls, nurses and doctors taking no notice of me. I thought it odd as I tried to catch someone's eye. I was ignored by everyone, no matter how hard or long I stared at someone. It was weird, but not overly strange. I shrugged and continued on with my wanderings, until a whiteboard on one of the doors caught my eye.

 _Laramie_ was scrawled in green marker across the whiteboard, followed by another scrawled name: _Dr. Young._

I stared at the door a moment, dread building in my stomach. I took a hesitating step towards the door, then another. I stopped before I could open the door and closed my eyes as I tried desperately to build my resolve. I pushed the door open and looked in the darkened room. There was definitely someone in the bed. I walked forward as if in a trance until I could make out the person who was laid out so pathetically.

 _Me._

I backed away several steps as fear clawed at my throat. I ran from the room and grabbed the clipboard that was in the plastic filing bin attached to the wall outside the hospital room. I couldn't make out much from the charts, but there was one word I knew well written in the notes. _Coma._

I sagged against the wall and replaced the clipboard. Still no one acknowledged my presence. In a peak of frustration I forced myself away from the wall and stomped towards the nurse's station. A pretty brunette maybe a few years older than myself was typing on a computer. Her pink scrubs were decorated with fairies and hearts. She used her pointer finger to push her glasses back up her nose as I reached the counter. She didn't look up as I came up to the counter, and she continued to ignore me even though I had been pretty loud with my stomping.

"Hello!?" I exclaimed questioningly, my voice raised a bit more than was necessary. The brunette didn't even raise an eyebrow in my direction. I slammed my hand down on the counter, but not even the loud noise seemed to be enough to get her to look at me and acknowledge my presence. I waved my hand in her face, still no reaction.

I looked around me in a panic as nurses and doctors continued their business, oblivious to me. A familiar voice caught my attention and I turned to see Clay entering my hospital room, my mother not far behind. I followed immediately.

My mom looked tired, her brown curly hair a mess as it frizzed in every direction. She picked up the magazine that had fallen to the floor and sat on the couch. I went up to her and put my hand on top of hers. She looked through me, through she scratched at the spot on her hand where I had touched her. She picked up her magazine and opened it.

I turned from her and looked at my husband. The despair on his face pulled at me and I went to him. I held him against me, though by now I figured I was like a ghost. I couldn't be seen, heard or felt. My emotions ran rampant as I held my husband in my arms awkwardly.

I studied my body as it lay in the bed. The broken nose, the ugly purple, black and yellow bruises. My broken legs. I pitied myself for the first time in my life. I let go of Clay and inched closer to the bed. Tentatively, I reached my hand out and touched my own face. The effects were immediate. The body in the hospital bed convulsed and the heart rate monitor beeped wildly.

The room was thrown into chaos as Clay and my mother leapt to the their feet. Nurses rushed in followed by the attending physician. My mom and husband were ushered out of the room as the medical personal went to work. Several things were injected into the IV for my saline drip, and in a matter of moments my body stopped seizing. The doctor checked all my vitals, and left once he was satisfied. One nurse began drawing vials of blood while the other straightened out my hospital gown and rearranged my broken legs. I stared forlornly at my broken body, wishing with all my being that I would wake up.

* * *

I did finally wake up, but not in a hospital bed. Instead I was in a tent with an elf and a dwarf. Solas was up, fully dressed and about to untie the tent flaps when I sprang awake. I got up and followed Solas out before bolting towards the lake. It was chilly, a light frost coating the green grass, and it crunched under paw. I skidded to a stop, my paws mere inches from the freezing water.

Autumn was beginning to fall upon the land, and some of the trees in the forest were beginning to change color. I looked across the still black waters, a thick mist rising from the water and nearly obscuring the mage tower completely. If I weren't afraid of waking everyone in camp I would have howled my misery. Instead I kept the urge to myself and let a few pathetic whimpers escape.

I was not left alone for long, however. Solas had followed me, and after a moment he was standing at my side, his lips turned down in a frown as he gazed at the tower in the middle of the lake. We were both silent for long minutes before Solas finally spoke, his eyes watching me intently.

"You aren't a spirit." It was not a question.

I met his gaze, but turned away when it felt like his eyes were boring holes into me. I shook my head no, and a whimpering sigh escaped me. I wasn't sure how this news was going to be received, and chanced a sideways glance at the elf. His frown had deepened as he looked across the water.

"You are a mage then." Another statement.

Again I had to shake my head no. Solas glared at me now and scoffed.

"You expect me to believe you are not a spirit, nor are you a mage, yet you are stuck as a wolf." Solas' voice dripped with derision as he spoke.

I nodded. There was no other explanation for my predicament, or if there was I didn't know what it was.

Solas snorted disbelievingly, but he didn't turn away from me either. I could see the wheels turning as he thought it over, and after a moment he spoke again. "You must have been changed by a mage then." He reasoned, though it didn't look like he entirely believed it himself.

I found myself stuck in the same predicament I found myself in the day I had met Solas. How should I answer? I went against my better judgment and nodded my head yes. It seemed plausible, though I couldn't know if he was testing me and my knowledge of magic in general. The only thing I could do was hope that this explanation could work.

Solas tipped his head up to look at the overcast sky and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "If it is as you claim," Solas began, continuing to look nonplussed, "then most likely you are cursed. If you are cursed it means blood magic. And blood magic means you'll need the blood of whoever cursed you so you can be returned to normal." Solas sighed and finally looked down at me. "Finding who cursed you will be another matter entirely. It couldn't have been at a worse time. With the mages and templars fighting, there is a good chance you will remain as you are for the rest of your days."

I whined with misery and flopped to the ground with a groan. I didn't want to be stuck as a wolf for the rest of my life. I wanted to go home to my husband. I wanted to have children, start a family. I wanted to buy my own house and own a vehicle that didn't have my in-law's names attached to it.

My reaction seemed to be enough to convince the elf that I must have been changed by blood magic. For all I knew it could have happened, though I didn't think it likely. Solas looked down on me with sympathy and crouched next to me, placing his hand on my head.

"Are you human?" I thought the question odd, but nodded my head yes. Solas searched my eyes a moment, but seemed happy with whatever he found there. "I will do some research, see if there is a way to change you back."

I licked his hand in thanks, before he stood and made for the camp. I remained at the lake, staring out over the mist covered water and wishing that I had stayed home instead of attempting to drive in to work that fateful day.

* * *

Solas' mind whirled as he made the walk back to camp. She _was_ human, she didn't lie about that at least. Her eyes were such a light blue that they were nearly clear; they reminded him of his late bond mate. Thinking of her stirred old sadness that made his eyes burn with unshed tears. Solas blinked rapidly to clear the burning sensation away. He _would_ fix the mess he'd made of the world, even if it killed him. Righting his wrong was the only way he could atone for the death of his beloved.

He pushed thoughts of Fen'an away and mulled over what he could do to help the wolf. It was obvious by her reactions at the lake that she wasn't happy. If she had been cursed by a blood mage, the easiest way to break the spell would be to get the blood from the mage that had cursed her. But with no way to communicate other than head bobs, whines and growls, he wouldn't be able to get a name.

Solas would have to hunt in the fade and research magic books to come away with a solution. He could always use his blood as a last resort. The magical properties contained in his blood would most definitely be enough to break the curse, but Solas didn't practice blood magic, negating that option.

The one thing Solas knew for sure was that he would have to hurry. The longer that the human remained a wolf, the greater her chances were of becoming feral. In Elvhenan, elves that had tired of living, but not enough to enter uthenera, would cast shape shifting spells to live as animals. But because the elves were immortal, they would often remain as animals much longer than they should, and after a few months they would begin to go feral, permanently becoming the animal they had shifted into. The only way to revert those spells had been for the mage who cast it to interrupt it. That wasn't an option here, since the human wasn't a mage.

Solas sat heavily on the ground by the fire pit and resisted the urge to groan aloud. His head was beginning to pound from thinking about the conundrum that was the wolf.


	4. Days 4 & 5

**Chapter 3**

 **Days 4 & 5**

My fourth day in Ferelden is when I was finally "named". We woke up to another cold autumn morning, and we had the rest of the ram for breakfast and some tubers that Solas had dug out from the water's edge at Lake Calenhad the previous day. The tubers were completely unappealing, and when I bit into mine, my mouth filled with the taste of dirt and old cucumbers. I forced it down, as had everyone else in the party.

"I had a dream last night." Varric said, and Cassandra snorted over her water skin. She glared at Varric as the dwarf grinned mischievously.

"Dwarves can't dream." Cassandra said scathingly in her thick accent.

"That's what you think Seeker." Varric replied.

"What did you dream about then?" Celeste asked as she got up to begin packing the camp.

"You'll never believe it, but I dreamed about our resident wolf." Varric was smiling as he gestured at me, and I perked my ears up as I regarded him.

"Oh really?" Celeste was also smiling, and I wondered if it was because Varric was smiling or because she found the dwarf's apparently wild claim about dreaming funny.

"Really," the dwarf chuckled as he picked up his crossbow and bolts, "and as I dreamed about our wolf, it came to me."

I regarded the dwarf warily, not sure I really wanted to know what he was up to. I glanced at Solas, who's brows were drawn together in contemplation. It seemed that it was true that dwarves didn't dream, for he hadn't refuted the fact, and I filed the knowledge away with the rest of the tidbits I was learning about this new world.

"What came to you?" Celeste asked after a long pause, when it had become apparent that Varric was waiting for someone to take his bait.

"Dusty!" Varric was quite proud of himself, judging from the smile spreading across his face that made him look like a Cheshire cat.

"Dusty?" Cassandra echoed, looking at him as if he had grown a second head.

"For the wolf? You want to call her Dusty?" Celeste asked incredulously.

"Well why not? The pale tan sprinkled along her back and over her face certainly looks like dust." Varric said, his tone still lighthearted, though he was losing his toothy smile.

"No." Cassandra said, shaking her head. "It does not fit. I can see your point, but it does not come naturally like most of your names. We need a name we can call her too."

"Agreed." Celeste said as she finished tying her pack to her horse. The camp was nearly entirely packed now, the only thing remaining was the destruction of the fire pit so a fire would not break out.

Varric's grin faded completely as he glanced at everyone's faces. Celeste was expressionless, studying me out of the corner of her eye as she mounted her horse. Cassandra was still shaking her head as she finished checking her supplies. Solas had already mounted his horse during the conversation and was studying me intently. And I just stood there, looking around, completely uncomfortable with being the center of attention.

"What about Fen'Asha?" Solas' voice was so quiet that I had barely heard him. I turned to meet his gaze and cocked my head to the side. His expression was carefully schooled to remain neutral, but I could see a glimmer of sadness in his eyes, as if the name he had suggested brought him pain.

"Fen'Asha?" Celeste asked, an eyebrow arched questioningly.

"Loosely translated, it means she-wolf." Solas supplied. He continued staring at me, paying the others no mind.

"That's a bit literal." Celeste responded. Her horse shifted on its feet, and she walked the beast in a quick circle, before motioning to Varric to hurry up and mount his horse.

"While literal in its translation, the name does roll off the tongue better than Dusty." Cassandra said as she gave Varric a boost up into his saddle.

"Seeker, you wound me." Varric muttered as he settled in the saddle and took the reigns from the dark haired warrior.

"Let's put it to a vote then." Celeste suggested as she spurred her horse forward. Cassandra hurriedly mounted her own horse while Solas cast an ice spell on the fire pit, freezing the embers solid.

"Don't bother," Varric called as he fell into line behind Celeste. "I already know I've lost. I don't need a vote to drive the point home."

* * *

 _Fen'Asha._ That's what the freed slaves had called his Fen'an. The human-turned-wolf that ran beside him now bore a striking resemblance to his lost love. Solas missed her, but the pain of losing her had long since gone; the spirit of Compassion had taken the pain away, healing his hurt. If Solas had been wise, he would have shielded those emotions from the spirit. Wallowing in his pain for a millennia seemed a fitting punishment. He fully deserved it.

He couldn't go back in time however; he would need to move on. He had grown so used to her companionship in their time together that the loneliness he had endured in the Fade had been near intolerable. Since waking the pain of loneliness had been an even bigger slap to the face. No warm body to greet him upon waking, no eager smile with soft words of love and endearments. She had softened him, wormed her way into his heart, and then abandoned him.

Whether she lived or died, he didn't know. Solas hadn't been able to go to the make shift uthenara chamber near his old stronghold to see if she were there upon his own waking. And if he was completely honest with himself, he didn't want to go. The possibility that he would find nothing, or worse, bones collecting dust was just too much. He knew he wouldn't react well. And so he chose the coward's path, to ignore the presence of the chamber and the possibility that his love was dead, her bones moldering into dust.

Solas was distracted from his misery by the sound of Varric's voice. He was muttering about something, his brows drawn together in a scowl. Celeste had set a hard pace to reach Haven by lunch time, and the sound of the horses hooves pounding on dirt very nearly drowned out the dwarf's voice.

"Is something troubling you, Child of the Stone?" Solas asked as he pushed his horse to draw alongside Varric's mount. The wolf had to fall behind to allow room for Solas' horse to move closer to Varric. She easily moved to the other side of the horse, sandwiching Solas in the middle, without breaking stride.

"It's nothing. Just sore over the whole naming the wolf thing. I guarantee you that we'll just be calling her Fen before long." Varric said.

"You are likely right." Solas agreed, bobbing his head in a 'yes' gesture. The movement was barely discernible over the movements of the horse.

"I'll think of something though." Varric said determinedly as Celeste spurred her horse even faster. The group in turn pushed their mounts into a faster gallop, and Rayne had to push herself to keep up.

When we arrived at what must be the village gates, I was so fatigued from the run I could barely keep myself from plopping in the snow with exhaustion. We stood outside the stable area, which was a shared space with the smithy. The space for the mounts themselves was a ramshackle fenced in pen that was barely big enough for the four horses. One of the boys that had been in the smithy working on some sort of stitching project came out almost immediately to tend to the horses, which were foaming at the mouth and doused with sweat from the hard ride. I could sympathize with them. I was panting hard and my tongue was hanging so far out of my mouth it was a wonder the thing didn't fall out completely.

I laid in the snow in an effort to cool myself as Celeste bent to speak with the boy. On the far side of the clearing several rows of tan tents were lined up, and soldiers were training with each other amongst them. They lunged, slashed and parried in a harsh dance of war. The clang of metal on metal and shouts of effort reverberated off the stone walls that surrounded what must be the village proper. I looked up at the green light high in the sky, suddenly struck by it. I had seen it growing closer while we traveled, but now I had the opportunity to really study it with awe.

The Breach, another thing that I had learned about while listening to small talk as we made our journey to Haven, was a sight to behold. It was a pale green light that created a vortex in the clouds. Everyone called it a hole, a tear in something called the Veil. I hadn't quite figured out what that meant, but I could tell by the somber tones it wasn't anything good. The smaller disturbances, called rifts, were a result of the Breach, and were the reasons why demons were plaguing the land. Celeste's job was to use the mark on her hand to seal the rifts and the Breach to save the world.

The mark was another strange anomaly. It glowed faintly green, and followed the skeletal structure of Celeste's hand up to her wrist. No one knew how Celeste came by the mark, just that she had survived an explosion and had walked out of the Breach. Another miraculous feat, since no one had ever been to the other side and survived. When the mark lay dormant the green glow was nearly imperceptible, but when Celeste closed rifts, it lit up, displaying each any every bone in the woman's hand.

Celeste finally finished speaking with the boy, and started off towards the gates. The gates did not open at her approach and she knocked, her face screwed up with annoyance. The doors clanged open after a moment, and Celeste stomped through, the rest of us hot on her heels. It was as we were mounting a set of long stone steps that someone finally noticed me.

"A wolf!" A male voice shouted. The loud sound of a sword sliding out of its scabbard assaulted my ears. More calls of alarm began, and I hurriedly went to Solas, placing myself directly in his path so he had to stop.

"Herald, you may want to tell everyone that the wolf is now a member of the Inquisition." Solas had to shout to be heard over the alarmed voices of the soldiers, but Celeste did hear him and stopped to address the crowd that had gathered in mere moments.

"The wolf is domesticated, and will be trained with the few mabari we have. Her name is Fen, and she is quite intelligent. I expect everyone here to treat her with respect." Swords were sheathed while she spoke, and though the people that had gathered regarded me warily with mistrust, they began to disband when Celeste resumed her fast walk through the village.

I wondered what a mabari was as Solas led me up a second set of stone stairs before veering towards the right. I followed close behind him, so close that his heel bumped my nose on several occasions. We skirted around a tall wooden building, the scent of alcohol wafting from the door as a patron entered. I could hear lively chatter and the sound of some sort of musical instrument and singing while the door was opened. It shut with an audible click and the noises within were muted. The local bar... well tavern, considering the time I seemed to find myself in.

During the three day trip to the village I had had time to contemplate many things. One such subject I'd thought about often was the year. From what I could tell there was no electricity or running water. At night the sky was alight with billions of stars. With no modern lights to drown out the light of the stars the night sky had been absolutely luminous and beautiful.

The tailoring of the clothes was another dead giveaway. Everything appeared hand made, the stitches slightly uneven. The style of clothes was also much different. They were very utilitarian, designed for a purpose, and worn out of necessity rather than for aesthetic purposes.

Just past the tavern was another set of stone steps, this set much smaller than the first two, which led up to a cluster of cabins. Solas went to the one on the right, and unlocked the door. He gestured for me to follow him, and I squeezed through the door... barely.

It was cozy inside, small. The door opened up to a mud room upon first entering the cabin, and past that was a larger room complete with fireplace, bed and a small desk that was heaped with papers and books. Another smaller table had a collection of dried herbs and other paraphernalia for grinding and mixing. I took up a fair amount of the extra space, and when I turned to look at Solas, he was regarding me with intense gray blue eyes.

"We will have to make arrangements elsewhere for you. This cabin is much too small for you to stay here."

I whined at him and flopped on the floor, letting out a loud exhale of breath in the process. It was my way of telling him that I was staying, regardless if he wanted me to or not. I didn't want anyone else to care for me... Well, Varric might not be so bad, but I _liked_ Solas.

He understood me better than the others, and there was something about his presence that was comforting for me. I mean, he was good looking, which was a plus, but underneath his scholarly and sometimes prickly outward appearance, I could sense he was someone who cared maybe a little too much. He was passionate about the things that mattered to him, and even though he kept things to himself with a remarkable emotionless facade, I knew that certain things affected him much more than he let on.

Solas looked at me as I lay on the floor, though he remained silent after my small outburst. After a moment of silent contemplation he scowled at me, but went to his desk and sat in the chair. He rummaged through the books that lay scattered across the top before finally selecting one and cracking it open. He settled back in his chair and began to read, while I was able to finally get some sleep. I was way beyond tired after the grueling pace that Celeste had set to get here.

The sound of a knock at the door woke me, and I sprang awake, a deep rumbling growl escaping my lips. The growl startled me; it had been a knee jerk reaction that reminded me of a dog protecting its master. Solas did little more than glance at me, probably to make sure I wasn't going to leap to my feet and lunge for the visitor. I behaved myself and remained on the floor, though my instincts were warning me to be up and on guard.

The door swung open on silent hinges as Solas opened it. He stood aside to allow Celeste to enter. The woman was a Qunari, something I had learned while we traveled to Haven. From what I gathered they were a race of humanoids who somehow grew horns out of their heads. She had light gray skin and eyes that were such a dark brown they were nearly black. Her horns grew out of her forehead, undulating in two waves, with the points facing the back of her head. Some golden decoration adorned the tips of the horns. She was beautiful, in an odd, otherworldly way.

"Solas, I have discussed Fen'Asha with Cullen, Leliana and Josephine, and we have decided that she will train for a week under Cullen's command before we head to Orlais to address the Chantry. It would be dumb of us to not make use of her if she's going to be in our party. Training her will give her the skills she'll need to fight at our sides. I expect you to bring her to Cullen by sunrise." Celeste said, her tone commanding.

"Of course Herald." Solas' reply we utterly polite and he dipped his head in acknowledgment.

Celeste regarded me for a minute and shook her head before turning back to Solas. "You are sure she's a spirit?"

Solas' ear tips darkened with the barest hint of red as he answered. "I still believe her to be a spirit. I'm not sure _what_ she embodies, as there is no way to communicate effectively..." Solas trailed off and shook his head slightly. "I will let you know what I learn as I learn it."

"Thank you Solas." Celeste gave the elven mage a polite smile as her eyes found mine. She stared at me a moment, then ducked back out into the cold mountain air.

Solas shut the door and made his way back to his desk, placing a marker in his overturned book. "We should gather some dinner." Solas remarked as he shrugged into a pale cream colored traveling cloak and picked up his staff from the corner by the door. I ambled to my feet and followed him out into the frigid evening air.

The following morning, I was nudged awake by my elven caretaker. He had managed to quietly get ready for the day without rousing me, a feat I considered to be extraordinary due to my sensitive hearing. I yawned and stretched as I got to my feet, taking note of the small headache that had developed some time in the night and my slightly queasy stomach. Truth be told I had been feeling... odd, ever since we arrived in Haven. Not quite sick, but not right either. That feeling you get when you know something is wrong, but you don't feel ill or have a temperature. Solas motioned for me to follow him and I walked outside so Solas could lock up his cabin.

It was snowing lightly this morning, fat flakes drifting lazily from the sky. I gazed up at the breach as it cast a dim green light on the surrounding area. Looking at it made my head begin to pound in earnest, and I found myself wondering if wolves could get migraines, because I had a feeling I was beginning to get one. It couldn't be the Breach giving me the headache, no one else seemed to be adversely affected by it.

Solas lead me down the stone steps, around the tavern and down the two flights of larger stone steps before exiting the village proper to the outskirts. He went to the right, towards the tents the recruits must use to sleep in at night. There was already a flurry of activity, though it was still dreadfully early. We met up with a handsome blonde man, a human, with a small scar above his upper lip. He wore a warriors armor, with rich black fur pauldrons that were streaked with hints of reddish brown.

"Thank you for bringing her Solas." The man said as he regarded me curiously.

"Of course. I'll remain for the duration of every training regimen to make sure any tactics don't twist her nature. I will let you know if I sense her nature beginning to warp, so we can avoid creating another demon." Solas stood tall as he spoke, his hands clasped together behind him. The two men regarded me a moment, and Solas gestured the human to me.

"Hello there Fen'Asha." The stranger offered his hand for me to sniff. I was getting sick of this, but obliged. "My name is Cullen, and I command the Inquisition's troops."

He smelled of leather, probably because of the gloves on his hands, and the irony tang of metal. Underneath that I smelled the salty pungent tang of unwashed male and lavender, probably the soap he had used previously when bathing. I sat in the snow and wagged my tail, an easy way to show acceptance. I figured I might as well act like a friendly dog, it would get my point across at least.

Cullen motioned us forward, and Solas and I followed the Commander as he made his way just past the tents. A grouping of soldiers were already there with massive dogs that looked to be a cross between a pit bull and German Shepard. _Those must be the mabari._ I thought to myself as I was lead to a young man who looked barely older than sixteen.

"This is Nikolai, and he will be training you." Cullen said as I went up to my handler. He stank of fear, and though he kept his expression neutral, my delicate nose easily picked up his unease underneath his male scent.

Tall enough that my nose came up to the middle of his chest, it wasn't a far stretch to reach my neck up to get my nose by his mouth. I felt his fear ratchet up, and even though I felt unwell, it was still amusing. I licked his chin once, slowly. The boy, Nikolai, let out a pathetic, barely audible whimper as I took a step back to give him his space again. I glanced at Solas, who continued to keep his expression neutral, though I saw the corner of his mouth ticked up with the barest hint of a smirk. Cullen was looking at me uneasily, and I opened my mouth, letting my tongue hang out in my impression of a dog with a goofy smile.

"Perhaps it would be best if Fen'Asha and I trained together." Solas suggested, taking a step towards us.

I woofed my agreement and pranced over to Solas, sitting obediently by his feet, like the mabari were sitting by their handlers. Solas let out the smallest of chuckles, though he didn't move from his spot.

Cullen rubbed at the back of his neck, considering. "Perhaps that would be best, since you will be working with her in the field." He dismissed Nikolai, who looked more than happy to leave the training session, and Solas and I took his place. The other soldiers looked at us out of the corner of their eyes, clearly apprehensive. Cullen began talking, and thus my training had begun.

It became apparent early on that I had never fought a day in my life to injure someone. When I had been in elementary school my mom had told me I could either participate in Girl Scouts again, or I could take up karate, since I had expressed interest in both. I had decided on karate and lasted about three sessions. I had missed my friends in Girl Scouts too much, and so I eagerly rejoined my old troop.

When I was a junior in high school I had taken self defense for women as a P.E. credit. Though I had passed the class, I had not put any force behind my strikes, and as an adult the only thing I was good at was wriggling. No matter who I wrestled with, be it my husband or one of my few guy friends, I was able to get out of just about any hold because of my sheer wriggling ability. Not much to brag about, but being able to get away was half the battle.

This proved to be true in my training. No matter who tried to hold me down, Solas, Cullen, or one of the other troops, I would wriggle out of their grasp within seconds without causing injury. Though I was sure that my size and strength probably had a hand in it, Cullen seemed to respect my sheer determination to get away without causing harm.

I had just escaped from one of the other soldiers, and sat in the snow, panting lightly from exertion. Cullen motioned everyone around him, talking to a group of nearly a dozen men and women. He eyed me over their heads occasionally, and I knew he was up to something. I didn't know if he was desperate to pin me as a matter of pride, or if he wanted to put me through any possible scenario, but I was betting on a little of both.

The group broke up and Solas took a step towards me. One of the other soldiers handed him his staff, and Solas gave me a menacing look as he advanced on me. I rose from my sitting position, my head dropping to protect my throat instinctively. This battle was going to be much more serious if Solas was going to bring his weapon into the mix.

We circled each other slowly, my pace matching his. Suddenly he whipped the staff around his body, ice magic erupting from the jeweled tip. I dodged, leaping nimbly to the side. Solas sent another barrage of magic my way, and I leaped this way and that, trying to gain ground without much success. Every time I got more than two or three feet ahead, he would direct his magic at me in such a way that I could only effectively dodge by moving backwards.

Then, miraculously, I began gaining ground steadily. It looked like Solas was tiring, and I took the chance to try and pin him between my paws. When I got close enough, I leapt into the air. Solas smirked and raised his hand in the air. He made a fist and with a quick downward motion released the spell. I was caught in midair by an invisible force and thrown to the ground. The air left my lungs in a loud huff, and I lay stunned upon the ground.

The headache and nausea I had been combating since waking finally caught up to me with the harsh attack I had endured. I was unable to get up and my head pounded, as if I could feel my heart beating in the entirety of my brain. I dry heaved, retching upon the snow as my body reeled. I shut my eyes in an effort to calm my frayed stomach and get the pounding in my head under control.

I don't know when Solas arrived at my side, but when I cracked my eyes open, I saw his worried frown as he felt over my body for injury. His hands flitted over me with a gentle touch, pale blue magic gathered on his fingers and palms sending tingles through my fur down to my bones. His fingers stilled on the crest of my head, and his gentle touch became firm and insistent. I heard his sharp inhale as his magic penetrated through my head, and a small whimper escaped my lips as his magic made my already full feeling skull seem to stretch painfully.

"She suffers from a pretty serious headache." Solas said finally, and it was then I noticed Cullen standing just behind the elven mage, his lips puckered with concern.

"Is there anything that can be done?" Cullen asked.

"I can ease the inflammation with healing, and a potion may take care of the rest of it." Solas turned from me to look at the Commander, who in turn sent one of his soldiers to fetch a potion, whatever that was.

A few moments later, seemingly long moments as my head pounded in time to my heart beat, the soldier that had been dispatched returned with a flask filled with a green liquid. Solas lifted my head up with Cullen's help, pointing my snout towards the sky so they could pry open my jaws and pour the liquid down my throat. I cooperated as much as possible, forcing my body to be pliant in their hands.

The potion was cold and tasted slightly sweet with hints of grassy herb that lingered on my tongue long after swallowing the concoction. Mercifully, the pounding in my head began to dull, and I felt the pleasant, cool touch of Solas' fingers on my head as his magic attempted to reduce the swelling in my head. When he was finished, the ache in my head had been reduced to a barely discernible pain. My stomach was still loopy with nausea, but now that the pounding in my head was under control the nausea seemed to dull as well. Perhaps it was the work of the potion.

I rose from the ground, shaking the snow and cold from my coat. Solas regarded me pensively for a moment, then ran his hands along my body one final time. "She seems to be better now." Solas commented as he turned from me to speak with Cullen.

"Was it the force of your spell?" The commander asked, his brow drawn together with concern as he regarded me out of the corner of his eye.

Solas shook his head minutely. "It should not have been. I only used enough force to knock her off her feet. I suspect she was already feeling unwell when we came to train. There is really no effective way for her to communicate any illness however, and she probably tried to just power through."

"Shall we continue this session later?" Cullen asked, his face still drawn with concern as he looked at me.

I answered for Solas, shaking my head for "no" and getting into a battle ready stance. I lowered my head to protect my neck as I had done earlier, and waited for someone to make a move.

"Perhaps we should pick up where we left off?" Solas suggested before bending to pick up his staff from the snowy path.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Cullen asked, his tone taking a slightly condescending tone.

"Perhaps not, but if she is still willing to train, we should press on." Solas did not wait for Cullen's response and stepped towards me, his staff poised to attack.

I lunged for him, dismissing the idea of the circling dance we had performed earlier. My long gait ate up the distance between us, and I rose on my haunches, as if to jump on the elf a second time. My eyes narrowed, time seeming to slow as I pivoted on my hind quarters to the left. My front feet made contact with the ground again, a plume of snow spraying forth from between my claws. I ran around Solas, pretending to try and get around him. He was not the man I sought to pin however.

Solas fell for my feint, pivoting on his heel to keep me in his sights. In doing so, he lost sight of Cullen and the other troops, and I took advantage of the new blind spot. My heart hammered in my chest, my head aching in time to my heartbeat. I shook my head to clear it, to refocus myself off of my pounding head and back on the mock fight. I put on a new burst of speed, the ground flying beneath me. I used a shoulder to throw my weight into Solas' stomach, and was taken by surprise when he disappeared in a streak of blue.

I stumbled, but recovered in mere seconds, and leapt through the air a second time. Cullen was not expecting me, and my paws met his chest. He fell over backwards with a grunt, his breath leaving his lungs in a loud breath. I scrambled off his chest quickly so that my weight wouldn't hinder his ability to get his breath back. His light brown eyes looked at me with shock, and I couldn't help the feeling of smugness that stole over me.

"Well played, Fen'Asha." Solas quipped as he walked over to where the Commander and I were. He offered his hand to the fallen man, who took it gratefully.

"Perhaps we should break for breakfast." Cullen said as he eyed me.

"It might help with Fen'Asha's sickness, if she is still feeling ill." Solas' statement was meant more as a means of fishing information from me. I dipped my head once to show my appreciation for his consideration.

"When you return I will have you watch the mabari train. It will give you some ideas for attack and defense, though it seems you are already creative in the attacking department." Cullen said to me, a small smile curving his lips.

"We shall return once we have eaten." Solas promised, and I followed him as he led me back into the village.

* * *

The second training session was much longer than the first, and by far the most boring. Watching the dogs go after men dressed in thick furs of several layers to protect delicate skin was intriguing at first. It quickly grew redundant. The potion that Solas had given me several hours earlier was still working, keeping my headache to a barely discernible dull ache. Since I was comfortable, I was itching to get started.

After a few more mabari attacks, I growled in annoyance and got to my feet. I looked up at Solas, who had looked down to meet my gaze. A moment of understanding passed and I left his side, joining the queue of war dogs. When my turn approached the recruit who was acting as bait looked thoroughly scared. I lowered my head, ears flat against my head as I let out a low growl.

I had to give bait-boy credit, he didn't take a step back. He lifted his arm and braced himself, waiting for my charge. He stank of fear, and the expression on his face was equally telling. My powerful haunches set my body in motion, and I covered the distance to bait-boy in only four or five long strides. My teeth clamped in the thick fur that was wrapped around his arm. I clamped my teeth down to give myself a good grip. I could have clamped down harder, I could feel the unused power in my bite force, and it was a struggle not to clamp down with enough force to break bones.

My weight alone threw bait-boy off balance, and with a powerful jerk of my neck, he flew through the air to land on his back several feet away. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then I was surrounded by men and women, their fingers playing through my fur as they rewarded me with baby talk. I snorted in amusement and shook my head, meeting Solas' gaze through a gap in the crowd. A small smirk flitted across his face, and I had this overwhelming feeling of deja-vu.

Training continued much the same as the day wore on, with only a few breaks for meals or water. It was obvious to the soldiers that I was holding back when biting at their arms, and Cullen went and got more furs and leather. He wrapped the furs and leather around his own forearm, constantly asking me to open my mouth so he could get the size just right. Not so big that I couldn't get my mouth around it, but big enough that biting down wouldn't injure him.

"Give it everything you've got." Cullen commanded as he took up a position further away. The distance between me and my mark was now nearly four times longer.

I exchanged a look with Solas, then lunged forward, breaking into a run. My teeth met Cullen's arm with such force that I immediately knocked him off balance. I could feel the precarious shift in his body weight, and his struggle to right himself before I flipped him to the ground. Our eyes met, and with a vicious tug and jerk of my neck the Commander went flying. He landed with a loud thump and I heard the harsh exhale of the breath being knocked from his lungs for the second time that day.

"It seems that Fen'Asha is well equipped for take down measures." Solas said as he leaned on his staff.

"It appears that you are right." Cullen chuckled as he got to his feet. He gave my head a firm, yet affectionate pat. "We will train on different battle tactics for the rest of the week. Your wolf is highly intelligent; I hadn't believed Celeste when she had debriefed us yesterday." Cullen admitted, his expression turning sheepish as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"I assume she did not disappoint then?"

"She did not; neither in size nor in intelligence." Cullen admitted.

"Good. Shall we meet again tomorrow at the same time?" Solas asked.

"Yes, I look forward to another fruitful session." Cullen smiled at me, gave me one last pat on the head and then turned on his heel and walked away.

* * *

That night, as I dreamed, I visited the hospital again. Five days had passed, and in those five days the swelling on my face had gone down considerably, and the bruises had faded from dark purple splotches to yellow tinges of skin. My nose looked much better too, though I knew it was likely still tender and sore. I was afraid to touch my body again, after the visceral reaction I had received the first time. So instead I stood several feet away, watching for who knows how long as my body breathed, but otherwise lay motionless.

My mother continued to sit on the couch under the window, this time with a book instead of a magazine. She read quietly, more put together today than the last time I had seen her. She twirled a bit of her brown curly hair around her pointer finger as she read, a habit she had developed to help her deal with stress.

I had a similar habit, though mine consisted of running the ribbon from a toy bear I had received as a child between my fingers. There was something oddly comforting about the cold ribbon sliding between my fingers. Clay thought it a strange habit, though he didn't try to discourage me. In fact, I had lost my original bear in a move, and he had thoughtfully bought me another from an online bidding site. Bluebeary the second. I smiled at the memory.

The sound of the hospital door opening drew my attention, and I turned to see Clay enter the room. He was not doing well. It was obvious he hadn't been eating, his normally athletic physique seemed to be diminished, and his shoulders hunched as if he were trying to make himself smaller. I knew he must have come from work, he wore his Carhartt pants and a bright orange shirt with the name of the electrical company that he worked for over the left breast.

My mom looked up as he entered, and rose from the couch. She placed a bookmark between the pages of her book, and went to my husband, offering him a hug. Clay embraced her quickly, his eyes darting to my prone form in the bed. He sighed wearily as he pulled away from the hug.

"No change?" He asked, his voice low with defeat.

"She remains just the same." My mother said quietly, stroking my husband's back in a soothing gesture.

Clay pulled from my mom and drew up a chair, pulling it as close as he could to my hospital bed. He sat down with a heavy sigh and pulled my still hand into his large one. I closed my eyes and imagined how his touch would feel on my skin, the warmth of his hand, and the safety I felt when he held me. I pined for the days when we would snuggle together in bed, wrapped in the comforting warmth of our blankets.

My breath escaped me in a long sorrowful sigh, and I wished there was a chair I could collapse into. But there wasn't, and I forced myself to stand and bare witness to my husband's misery. A pit of sadness formed deep in my gut, and I longed for morning to dawn so I could wake from this awful dream. But I knew deep down that this was not a dream, that in my home world I lay in a hospital bed. My reality was now with Solas, with the budding Inquisition. I could only hope that Solas would find an answer soon, so that I could return to my husband and start the family we both so desperately wanted.

* * *

 **AN: So, next chapter there will be a nearly two week jump, and we will be in Orlais to address the Chantry. It will be canon in the beginning, so please bear with me. But with Rayne's presence there... well, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?**

 **Also, shout out to everyone who has favorited and followed these last few weeks! I'm glad to have you along for this rewrite! I will continue trying to get updates up every other week at a minimum, but I may be able to post weekly as long as real life doesn't get in the way.**


	5. Days 18 & 19

_AN: Special shout-out to Shilyn for giving me this idea from her own fic, "Rosa Stands Tall". And for letting me use it. You're the best!_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 **Days 18 & 19**

When we arrived on the outskirts of Val Royeaux, the first order of business was securing a room outside of the city. Celeste managed to get two rooms, one for herself and Cassandra, and one for Varric and Solas. It had taken much bartering and coin, but Celeste was able to convince the inn keeper to allow me inside as well. He had been apprehensive, eyeing me with mistrust as Celeste tried to barter with him.

We spent the evening in the local tavern, unwinding after nearly seven days of hard riding. It was cozy, albeit a little dirty and rough around the edges. Okay, maybe _a lot_ dirty. Dirt and grime covered the floor, dust motes danced thickly in the air, and the entire placed smelled of alcohol, sweat and old vomit. When the group had chosen a spot, I had slunk under the table, finding the least stained and dirty patch of wooden floor to lay on.

Solas kept to himself through the night, quiet as always, though he participated readily enough when someone addressed him. I was ignored for the most part, laying under the table like any other common dog. How I wished to have my human form back so I could actively participate, but even if I were human, the pain of being away from Clay would be the same. The only difference was that I would be able to bond to someone through talk. The only person I'd made any kind of connection with in these last three weeks was Solas. And we had only bonded because he had promised to care for me.

I sighed, a groan escaping from me as I did so. The night was wearing on, and it was late enough that most of the patrons had retired for the evening. Solas peered at me under the table, a small frown on his face. Our eyes met, and he seemed to understand I was bored, and at my limit. He stood from the table, excused himself, and headed for the stairs that led up to the rooms. I crawled out from under the table and followed. I could feel the uneasy stares on my back as I retreated with Solas, and it took everything within me not to speed up my gait to escape the prying eyes.

When we arrived in our room, Solas shed his outer clothes, as was his ritual. He wore to bed a pair of light cotton trousers, threadbare, but comfortable looking, and a long sleeved cotton shirt. Afterwards, he motioned me over and began to undo the metal buckles to my armor. It was a handsome ensemble, crafted from hardened leather and lightweight metal plates. It was sturdy and comfortable, the plates positioned over all the vital areas of my body. Solas carefully laid my armor out on the only chair in the room, on top of his own clothing.

The room itself was plain, a small hearth on the left with two small beds against the wall on the right. A tiny window looked out onto the cobblestone street, and Solas cracked open the window to allow a cool breeze to freshen up the stale air. Everything was a depressing shade of brown. Brown wooden floors, brown wooden walls, brown wooden ceiling. It was a good thing we were only spending two nights here, because if it were any longer I'd probably go crazy looking at all the brown.

I got up on Varric's bed as Solas turned down the covers on his own bed. He glanced at me as the bed groaned under my weight.

"I do not think that bed was built for a creature as large as you." Solas commented as he slid between the covers.

I huffed, but got off Varric's bed and laid on the floor by Solas' bed. Solas reached down and ran his fingers through my fur, and I couldn't help the feeling of warmth and affection that stole over me.

 _What is wrong with you?_ I berated myself silently. Here I was, three weeks into a strange place, and I was already enjoying the touch of another man. I should be thinking of Clay, not Solas. I forced myself up and went to the end of the bed, laying there instead. I didn't need any more temptation.

The room was quiet, the occasional loud laugh floating up to reach our ears from the tavern below. I could hear Solas' breath even out as he slipped quickly into sleep. I envied him. With all the shit that had happened during our travel to Val Royeaux, I would be lucky if I slept more than a couple hours.

* * *

Most of our travel to the city had been boring, with not much to break up the monotony of dirt roads and the thundering of hooves. That was until an overturned cart appeared on the horizon. Celeste had reigned in her horse, and the others were quick to follow her lead. The Qunari woman held up a fist, a sign I recognized from my own time.

Celeste dismounted, and Cassandra followed suit, her hand hovering above the hilt of her sword as she trailed behind the Herald. I looked at Solas and Varric, both of whom watched as the two women slowly approached the overturned cart. Varric was scowling with concern, Bianca out and ready to fire. Solas remained expressionless, though he watched the proceedings intently.

Their reactions to the situation left me feeling on edge, and I could feel my heartbeat quicken and the blood begin to pound in my veins. I followed behind the two warriors, hackles beginning to raise, as the scent of blood began to fill my nose. The closer we got to the suspicious cart, the stronger the metallic scent got. I growled in warning and Celeste paused in her advance, her dark brown eyes meeting my own.

Cassandra drew her sword, the sound of the metal blade leaving its scabbard making a delicate ring that barely carried in the still air. If anything, things seemed to get more tense once the Seeker's sword was drawn. She glanced from Celeste to the cart and back again. The two warriors exchanged a look, and Cassandra began inching forward once again. Celeste drew her own two handed blade as she too advanced forward one cautious step at a time.

Against my better judgment, I also stalked forward cautiously. Everything was quiet, not even the horses made a noise as we made our way forward. My paws made no sound on the hard, dirt packed ground, and the two warriors were also stepping remarkably lightly. Their feet barely whispered over the dirt. The silence was punctuated by the most cliché sound. A twig snapping. My head snapped up, ears perked to try and hear better. It didn't appear that the women in front of me heard anything.

And then, from the corner of my eye, a shimmer at the tree line, similar to heat waves that roll off the pavement on a blisteringly hot day back home. It was _not_ hot here, it was the middle of autumn and the temperature likely hovered around fifty degrees. I focused in on the shimmer, watching as it moved forward. The light breeze shifted, and the scent of a man washed over me. I put two and two together.

With a snarl I leapt forward, my long legs easily eating up the massive distance between myself and the heat wave shimmer. Celeste and Cassandra paused in their slow creeping, watching as I launched myself into the air.

I landed on the shimmer, disrupting whatever had been making the man invisible. He had not been expecting me, had even attempted to dodge. It was almost as if he had thought that I couldn't see him and was just aiming for wherever his scent was. _But I_ _saw him._ I twisted my body in midair, a mean feat of acrobatics that I probably would have been astounded with if I didn't have adrenaline pumping through me. I landed on the ground and didn't even pause before leaping again, this time hitting my mark.

The air rushed out of his lungs in a loud hiss as we landed, and the stealth he had cloaked himself in faltered, revealing the agile body of a man, lightly built. I could hear my blood rushing in my ears, my heart beating a frantic rhythm as the man beneath my paws drew his arm back. The glint of metal came to me out of the corner of my eye, but I did not dodge the incoming blow fast enough.

The loud clang of metal on metal reverberated sharply in my ears as the dagger the man held glanced off the metal plate on my armor. If I hadn't been wearing it, his strike would have gone up into my ribs. A kill shot. I paused, stunned. I had never been in a fight before. I had never been in a _real_ fight. And in this world, it was me or my enemy.

Distantly I heard the harsh clang of metal on metal and the shouts of Cassandra and Celeste as they battled their own opponents. So this had been an ambush then. I didn't know whether this was planned as a means to slow the Inquisition itself, or if it were a mere group of bandits that we just happened to cross. I _did_ know that the man beneath my paws was winding up for a second strike. The tip of his dagger hung menacingly over my head, and then things seemed to slow to a crawl.

"Fen'Asha!" I barely heard Solas' shout over the blood pounding in my ears. I didn't look at him.

I let my body go limp, falling heavily on the man beneath me, disrupting his attack as his breath left his lungs a second time. I rolled off and to the right, scrambling to my feet. Without pause for thought, I opened my jaws wide and clamped my teeth around the man's wrist. I heard the wet crunch of bone snapping, and my foe let out a piercing scream of pain as his dagger dropped from his hand and clattered to the dirt.

The taste of blood flooded my mouth, and it was like the taste of the man's life awoke a beast within me. A loud growl tore up my throat and past my lips, as I shook my head from side to side viciously. The broken arm moved and twisted grotesquely in my mouth. The man let out a blood curdling scream that made my ears ring. I let go of his wrist and his arm fell to the dirt, useless.

The man hurriedly rolled to his feet, whimpering as he jostled his mangled arm, and took off at a run. I let him go for several feet, then broke into a run myself. I tackled my opponent to the ground, earning a pain filled screech as he landed heavily on his broken arm. I jumped neatly on his back, and sunk my teeth into the unprotected back of his neck. His spine crunched between my teeth, and his entire body relaxed into death.

I looked up to see Varric aiming Bianca at a rather large warrior; his bulk even made Celeste look small in comparison. Varric let the bolt fly, and though it punched into the metal, it barely made it in. Unless Varric was a good enough shot to hit the same exact spot again, his bolts were pretty much ineffective.

Solas was preoccupied with offering defensive support, casting barriers and minor healing spells as needed to refresh the two warriors. He paused in his casting long enough to meet my gaze and nod, before a pained grunt from Cassandra drew his attention back to the fight at hand. I also refocused my attention and scanned our small battlefield. There were five bodies littering the ground, including my own felled opponent, and it looked like the massive warrior was the last one standing.

There didn't appear to be any gaps in his armor, but I charged forward anyway. I tackled into the warrior's side, staggering him just before he was able to swing his two handed ax down on Cassandra. He grunted at the impact, but was otherwise unfazed as he quickly refocused his attention on me. But my distraction was all that Celeste needed.

As the Qunari warrior wound up for another attack, the bandit warrior was getting ready to swing his sword at me. I danced out of the way, our opponent tracking my movements as he attempted to keep up with me. He managed two steps towards me. Then the area echoed with the slick thud of metal biting into flesh and bone, and Celeste's sword stabbed through the last man's neck. He gurgled in surprise, his eyes growing wide beneath his helmet. With a grunt of effort, Celeste tore her sword from the enemy's neck, and blood spurted forth, splattering the dirt with the hot droplets.

The blood managed to stain my fur before I was able to scramble away. The warrior fell to the ground with a heavy thud, his blood pooling thickly beneath him. We were all silent a moment as we took in the carnage around us. Everyone seemed to be fine other than minor scrapes and bruises.

I moved around the over turned cart, looking at the blood that covered the grass. A few mangled bodies that were already beginning to stink of decay lay haphazardly hidden under some furs. I scrunched my nose and snorted to try and get the awful stench out of my nose as I turned and moved away hastily. The bandits we had just slaughtered had most likely ambushed the caravan as well.

Solas was attending to the warriors, his hands lighting up with blue magic as he assessed each woman's health. He glanced at me as he finished with Cassandra. "You appear to be in top shape, Seeker."

"As I told you." Cassandra said snarkily as she rose from her seated position and headed for her horse.

Solas and Varric exchanged a look, the dwarf looking highly amused as he appeared to repress a chuckle. "No need to be so prickly, Seeker." Varric jibed, his lips stretched in a wide grin.

Cassandra made a non-committal grunt as she mounted her dark brown horse, glaring over her shoulder as she did so. This drew a chuckle from the dwarf and he turned to address Solas.

"She's always like this. Don't take it personally."

"So I had gathered." Solas replied dryly as he grasped the saddle horn on his own mount and pulled himself up.

"If you are quite finished." Celeste sighed, spurring her horse into a decent trot as we continued on our journey.

I had stewed in my own thoughts for much of the rest of the day, repulsed with my actions. In the heat of battle I had thought nothing of killing the man I had battled with. It had sickened me, and I found myself wondering why I had acted so out of character.

I was not like that. I had never killed before. What if that man had a wife? Children? Would his family worry when he didn't return home? Was I a killer now? Would killing become like second nature to me now? The questions swirled in my mind, repeating themselves over and over.

* * *

Solas still could not get used to the wolf. She had been his constant shadow for nearly three weeks, and he could not get used to the sight of her. She made him miss his bond mate, made him want to trek from Haven towards the caves to see if she were still there. He wouldn't be able to do that, however. With no other mages with battle experience in the Inquisition, he was required in the field to assist the Herald with her missions.

He should have made the journey years ago when he had first awoken. Foolishly he had avoided the chambers and the possibility that his love could be alive. He doubted she lived though. She had never once sought him out in the dreaming. _Not once_. The pain of that thought continued to twist his heart with loss. He knew that she would have contacted him somehow if she were able.

He would still occasionally ask spirits for information, but most spirits these days were too newly formed to know anything. On the rare occasion that he ran into a spirit that had witnessed the Veil go up, they would just speak in cryptic riddles. It only served to frustrate him more. He liked to think himself smart and cunning, but talk of a Fade within the Fade only confused him. When he asked for clarification the spirit he was speaking to would either clam up and refuse to talk or speak in further riddles that did nothing to clear his confusion. Thinking about it was giving him a headache.

Solas pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger, a long suffering sigh escaping past his lips. They were currently walking towards Val Royeaux, opting to leave the horses at the tavern to draw less attention to themselves when they entered the city itself. Solas doubted that it mattered, the wolf traveling with them was nearly as tall as the average person, so they were bound to stick out anyway.

He glanced down at the wolf trotting at his side. Her head reached the base of his chest, meaning that she would seem even taller to today's elves. They had shrunk as the years went by; shorter, slimmer, more delicately featured. He supposed part of it was because of the lack of magic in the world due to his miscalculations, but it was also likely that their oppression and drifter lifestyle had also played a role in their evolution. He hated himself for what he had done to their once proud race. He should have gone about it differently.

What he should have done was locked everyone in their respective eluvians, and then smashed them. There wouldn't have been any way to escape after that. But that was the past, and he _hadn't_ done that. Instead he had erected the Veil, killing his vhenan and nearly killing himself in the process. What he wouldn't do to go back in time and tell his younger self to _not_ put up the Veil.

And then, to top it all off, he had to open his mouth and name the creature after his bond mate. Solas thought he must be a glutton for punishment. Hadn't he suffered enough with the loss of everything the elves were? Apparently not. Naming the wolf Fen'Asha was unwise on his part, for now he would always be reminded of the woman he loved and would never see again. A small part of him secretly wanted the cursed human who walked as a wolf at his side to have a drastically different personality from his own love. He would be better able to separate the two in his mind and keep an emotional distance. But he was not in luck. Their resemblance was more than skin deep. At least he hadn't named her Fen'an, because calling this wolf his wolf's heart would have been even worse.

Fen'an. Fen'Asha. Both of the names were false names. Not her true name. Mythal had named her Davhalla, her little gift. Solas had heard the stories of Mythal's youngest child, for the goddess herself had told them to him. Davhalla wasn't meant to live. Had died in fact. But a spirit had given up its existence for Mythal's child, and she had honored the spirit the only way she could.

Davhalla had chosen the name Fen'an after they had bonded. Wolf's Heart is what she had decided on. And her chosen name had become the truth with time. She had become his heart, he had lived for her, loved her fiercely, had protected her as a wolf protects his pack. She _had_ been his pack. But now he was the lone wolf. Perhaps he should go by something other than Fen'Harel now... Solas shook his head, as if to tell himself 'no'. It didn't matter any longer. Today's elves, the Dalish, didn't remember Fen'an. And they remembered him as a cunning god that would dupe them with pretty words.

Solas had mused a long time about the young elf when Mythal had first approached him with the idea of an arranged match. He had been against the idea at first, having too much fun going where the wind called him, and having meaningless flings with whoever was willing to warm his bed. Solas had no desire to be leashed with a bonding, even if the woman who held his leash was Mythal's youngest progeny. He had refused Mythal's suggestion at first, but that woman was as cunning as he himself was. She was supposed to meet him one night to discuss an alliance. She would need to travel deep into the earth to wage war on the beings called the Pillars of the Earth, and having his power would have helped ensure the elves victory.

The Children of the Stone dealt with the Pillars of the Earth normally, but the creatures were causing quakes that threatened to topple the elves buildings and homes, their livelihood. Droughts plagued certain parts of their homeland, and it was believed that the Pillar's magic was stronger than even that of all the Evanuris combined. No creature should have that much power, and he had secretly agreed. In hindsight, it was probably one of the worst blunders the Elvhen had made, but at the time... Solas sighed and shook his head. He was getting off track.

He had thought that he was meeting Mythal, but in fact had met with a small elven woman who was barely tall enough to reach the middle of his chest. She had striking blue eyes, such a light color that they were nearly clear, like looking through a thin piece of ice. Her hair curled in long loose curls to her waist, so light blonde that it was nearly white. Her ears were a little long for her head, but were endearing nonetheless, and she had a small button nose that fit the shape of her face almost perfectly. Solas was immediately smitten. He had admired her curves as she had advanced on him, his youthful and lustful eyes following the slight little bounce of her breasts as she walked towards him. He drew his eyes up to her face with a little effort, and was greeted with a knowing smirk forming across her lips as she tilted her hip out and regarded him coolly.

For once in his life, Fen'Harel was at a loss for words.

"Desire demon got your tongue?" She had quipped, her playful smile lighting up her face.

He had cursed Mythal right then, because he had heard descriptions of her youngest daughter, and knew exactly who he was looking at. She was young as elves went, only about a hundred years under her belt. Solas was much, much older. But he had to admit that the stories he had heard about the young woman did not do her justice.

After their meeting, he refused to admit to himself that he wanted to get to know her. He in fact spent nearly five years trying to ignore her existence, a mere blink of the eye to the immortal elf. But Mythal would not let him forget about her youngest daughter, constantly sending Davhalla out in Mythal's stead when it came to negotiating an alliance against the Pillars. Though no action would take place for years to come. It wasn't until the quakes threatened Arlathan that the elves took action against the great magical beings.

Consequently Solas found himself in a bonding ceremony, not quite sure what had happened, or how he got there. And being bonded to Davhalla, newly named Fen'an, were the best years of his life. Solas was careful to keep his wistful smile to himself as he lost himself to the memories of his long gone love, something that was happening far more frequently lately.

* * *

I glanced at Solas as we brought up the rear of the party, concerned. He had been much more withdrawn than normal this morning, and his eyes had a far away look to them that let me know he was deep in thought about _something._ I highly doubted that he would ever speak about what he was thinking of, but I remained curious.

The day was bright and sunny, with nary a cloud in the sky. It was also a bit warmer today compared to yesterday, and the sun warming my fur was a delicious indulgence I was rarely able to enjoy in Ferelden. It wasn't hard to miss Val Royeaux, bright red sheets of cloth were draped between the buildings to create pockets of shade, and colorful flowers and statues made of gold abounded everywhere.

The bridge into the city was made of elegantly carved white stone, and lined with towering archways and golden statues of lion-like creatures with wings atop marble columns. Opulent was a good word to describe this city with. It reminded me of the French for some odd reason, though I had never visited Europe, let alone France. A bell began to toll in the distance as we nearly finished crossing the bridge.

"The city still mourns." Cassandra observed solemnly. She didn't seem as fascinated with her surroundings as Celeste, Varric and I were, leading me to conclude that she must have visited the city before.

We continued with our march across the bridge, my eyes roving over everything as I tried to drink it all in. I was distracted from my sight-seeing by a sharp gasp on my right, and I turned my head to see a couple about to pass us coming from the opposite direction.

I had thought once before that the clothing in this world was practical and not frivolous in the least. I was mistaken. The pair both wore golden masks on their faces that covered everything but their mouths, and wore clothing made of fine silk and cotton. The woman wore a dress, corsets cinched tightly and hair styled in an elegant up-do. It reminded me of the eighteenth century, just without the powdered wigs. I wasn't quite sure what the masks were for, and would have loved to ask about them... If I'd had a voice to do so. The man wore something similar, but breeches instead of a dress. _No shit._ His clothing was also impeccably tailored and he looked well groomed with hair perfectly coiffed.

The pair shied away from our group, the man's lips turned in a frown as he put the woman behind him as we walked by, as if to protect her from us. I would have scoffed at their ridiculous behavior had I been able to do so. I found there were a lot of sighs, grunts and other micro-expressions I missed from my human days. The couple scurried away as we cleared their position, walking at such a fast pace it was a wonder they didn't just break out into a run.

"Just a guess Seeker, but I think they all know who we are." Varric said somberly as he watched the couple's hastily retreating backs.

"Your skills of observation never cease to impress me, Varric." Cassandra quipped in reply, her words heavily laced with sarcasm.

We left the bridge then and stepped through a large iron gate and into a corridor that was framed on either side by blue walls several stories high. Climbing ivy dripped from the top of the walls, and green plants I had no hope of identifying lined the entire corridor. Also lining the corridor on either side were several rock statues of a man and woman; the former had his head in his hands as if in grief or pain. At the end of the corridor I could see an open area that resembled a high end marketplace.

A female scout dressed in light green breeches, light leather armor, and a green cowl over her head stepped from the shadows of one of the statues, startling me enough that a growl escaped my lips and the hackles on my back rose. I quickly stopped the growling and forced myself to calm down. It still took several moments for my hairs to lie flat again. Varric chuckled as he glanced up at me, and I gave him a hard stare in return. Great, he would probably bring this up later.

"My Lady Herald." The scout addressed Celeste, kneeling on the ground to show her respect.

"You're one of Leliana's people." Cassandra stated, butting in to the conversation. "What have you found?"

We had stopped our march into the city at this point, and I sat at Solas' feet as I listened to the exchange. Solas' hand was nestled in my scruff fur, something that had been happening more often lately. I wasn't completely sure he was even aware he was doing it. I glanced up at him, and though he was looking at Celeste and the scout, his eyes were still foggy and distant. What I wouldn't give to know what he was thinking about just then.

"There are templars here?" Cassandra's surprised tone drew me back into the conversation at hand. From what I had been able to piece together through general observation and eavesdropping, I knew that the templars had left the religious sect, the chantry, during the Mage Templar war. They oversaw the mages, and with the fall of the circles (which I understood were school-like prisons for mages), they were left without a purpose.

"People seem to think the templars will protect them from..." The scout paused, as if to steel herself to continue on with her sentence. "From the Inquisition. They're gathering on the other side of the market. I think that's where the templars plan to meet you." At the end of her report, the scout rose from her respectful kneel, and Cassandra pushed by her.

"Only one thing to do, then." The human warrior said as Celeste stepped in behind her. The rest of us followed suit, staying close together.

The scout led us through the corridor, and our group lapsed into silence as we retreated into our own thoughts. Solas had seemed to shake himself from his trance. His hand left my scruff, and I looked up to see his lips twisted into a frustrated frown. _Frustrated with himself? Or with me?_ I wondered.

"They wish to protect the people? From us?" Cassandra's voice was filled with annoyance, though hints of surprise also colored her words. She had waited several seconds to speak, and we were nearing the halfway mark when her words had punctured the silence.

"They can certainly try." Celeste said in a mocking and somewhat angry tone as we continued to trudge forward.

"We don't want a pitched battle in the middle of Val Royeaux." Cassandra admonished gently.

"That's their choice, isn't it?" The Qunari woman responded with irritation, her hands clenching into fists.

I myself wasn't quite sure why the templar's presence disturbed the Herald. I wasn't even sure if their presence alone was what miffed the woman. Perhaps it was the fact that Celeste had somewhat sympathized more with the templars. Or maybe it was the fact that the templars felt the general population needed protection from the Herald.

"You think the Order's returned to the fold, maybe? To deal with us upstarts?" Varric asked seriously.

Celeste stopped, causing our party to pause. We were nearly through the corridor and into the marketplace now. Even I knew it wouldn't do for us to be overheard by the residents, chantry sisters and templars as we discussed them.

"I _know_ Lord Seeker Lucius. I can't imagine him coming to the Chantry's defense. Not after all that's occurred." Cassandra responded.

Celeste glanced between the dwarf and human, looking pensive. "It just means I have a larger audience to convince."

"Perhaps." Cassandra relented, nodding her head once in acknowledgment of the Herald's words, before she turned back to the scout. "Return to Haven. Someone will need to inform them if we are..." Cassandra hesitated, and her meaning was dreadfully clear, even if she did finish her sentence with a tactful "delayed".

"As you say my Lady." The nameless scout replied, dipping her head in respect before scurrying back the way we had come.

We finally left the corridor and stepped into the brightly lit market, the sun touching upon nearly every surface and glinting off the gold statues and marble columns that circled the large, open area. Some outer edges of the market were lined with neatly trimmed hedges, the bushes put in place to protect small groves of fruit trees. The fruit that grew from the trees looked suspiciously like apples, and I couldn't help the way my mouth watered at the thought of eating one. I still had a voracious appetite.

Groups of people stood here and there, their postures stiff and wary as they regarded us with eyes hidden behind their masks. Whispers followed us as we walked. They were afraid of us, angry even. I could smell it, and their body language was also a dead giveaway. I drew even closer to Solas as those penetrating stares seemed to bore into me. His fingers made their way into my scruff again, and his long digits brought me a small modicum of comfort.

The colors here were rich and vibrant, the smell of breads and other baked goods permeating the air. It smelled divine here, and I flicked my gaze this way and that, trying to discern which stall had the goodies. I was definitely going to try and convince Solas to buy me a treat as soon as our business here was wrapped up.

We skirted to the left, passing a few shops that were in the small circular towers that rose like pillars into the air. I assumed they must connect to the other levels of the market, I didn't see any stairs. We passed a well maintained wooden gallows, and I shivered as I looked at the medieval killing device. It looked innocent enough currently. No one was gathered around it, no prisoners stood atop it, and the rope swung slowly as the gentle breeze moved it. I turned away, forcing the image of a body swinging from the rope away. Something my own mind had conjured. Seeing gallows in movies and television shows was one thing, seeing it in real life was quite another. I was glad I wasn't going to be seeing any deaths today. _Hopefully._

Just past the gallows was a large gathering of people. Women who I recognized as chantry sisters stood atop a raised wooden platform as they spoke to the mass that stood before them. Celeste trudged forward, her head held high as she pushed through the crowd. The rest of us followed in her wake, and the people stepped aside to let us pass, their eyes (or what could be seen of them through their masks) veiled with mistrust and anger.

The young woman who was addressing the gathered crowd caught sight of Celeste and raised her arms in the air as she called out to the faithful. "Good people of Val Royeaux, hear me!"

A dark skinned templar moved to stand beside the woman, crossing his arms as he looked out over the crowd. The woman continued on, ignoring his presence. "Together we mourn our divine. Her naive and beautiful heart silenced by treachery!" She stalked forward on her small wooden stage, face twisted with contempt as she looked down on Celeste. She continued on as she shook her head in disapproval, her lips twisted down in a scowl. "You wonder what will become of her murderer. Well, wonder no more!"

She paused in her diatribe, and the whispers of the crowd, which were once hushed, rose in pitch. What was once a low murmuring of voices became like the loud buzz of a thousand angry bees, making my ears twitch with the sudden change in volume. I pushed back an uncomfortable whine, and instead sat beside Solas as closely as possible. His fingers found their way into my fur again, and I took comfort from his touch, even as I hated myself for it.

"Behold the so-called Herald of Andraste! Claiming to rise where our beloved fell. We say this is a false prophet! The maker would send no Qunari in our hour of need!" The woman glowered at Celeste, her expression one of goading challenge that I knew Celeste was more than capable of meeting.

"You say I am the enemy. The Breach in the sky is our _true_ enemy. We must unite to stop it." Celeste's words were laced with annoyance, and if her tone wasn't convincing enough, her eyes had narrowed to pinpricks as she eyed the woman on the stage angrily.

"It's true!" Cassandra interjected. "The Inquisition only seeks to end this madness before it's too late!"

The whispers had now evolved to full on chatter, and it was getting difficult to hear the woman on the stage as she replied, "It is already too late!" She gestured to her left at a group of templars that were marching forward, led by a man with greasy black hair that had been slicked back into a ponytail, his face riddled with pockmarks.

"The templars have returned to the chantry!" The sister had to nearly shout to be heard over the crowd at this point, and she had backed away from the front of the stage to make room for the advancing templars. "They will face this 'Inquisition', and the people will be safe once more!"

The templar leader stalked by, not even bothering to glance at the woman. I watched in stunned amazement as one of his slimy looking followers punched the woman in the back of the head with a gauntlet encased fist. The crowd gasped as she cried out in pain and tumbled to the floorboards, her fingers gripping at the spot where she had been struck.

The dark skinned templar who had been watching over the proceedings jumped to help the woman, but was interrupted by their leader blocking his path. "Still yourself. She is beneath us." The greasy man said, his gray eyes flicking to the woman in question with contempt. The dark skinned man looked disgusted by the actions of the others, but did not speak against his superiors.

The gentle breeze that had been blowing all morning shifted directions, and it brought a scent to me that I easily recognized. _Demon._ I had not forgotten the scent of the first demon that I had come across, the smell of sulfur and death. Rot. Decay. That same scent drifted to me now, and a warning growl rumbled from my chest. Those in the crowd nearest me heard my warning and retreated several steps, regarding me warily as I watched the scene in front of me with a new intensity. I glanced up at Solas, trying to convey what I knew with my eyes. He in turn met the eyes of the others in our small group, and I knew that my point had gotten across. There was danger here.

"So you're not here to deal with the Inquisition then?" Celeste asked, her voice raised to be heard over the crowd. My hackles raised as the man turned his gaze to us, his eyes flicking down to me momentarily before he focused his gaze back on the Herald.

"As if there is any reason to." He scoffed before turning away. I decidedly didn't like him, and stalked after him silently. I slunk through the crowd, weaving between legs as I followed his progress while he crossed the small stage and descended the stairs on the opposite side.

Boots thudded and crunched on the stone bricks behind me, and I glanced back quickly to see Cassandra following me, her lips twisted into a frown as she gazed at the slimy man. "Lord Seeker Lucius, it's imperative that we speak with-"

Cassandra was cut off as the man, Lord Seeker Lucius, paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned to face the Seeker at my back. "You will not address me." He growled, his voice laced with menace. He was maybe ten or so feet from me, and I could smell the foul stench coming from him. This was _not_ the Lord Seeker that Cassandra knew. He was an impostor at best, an abomination at worst. A low growl rumbled out of my chest, and I felt Solas' fingers twining in my ruff again.

The _Lord Seeker_ turned his back on Cassandra and began his march again. I could not wait any longer. I lunged forward, nails clicking against the stone, and tackled the man. He went sprawling forward in a loud clatter as his metal armor clanged against the stones. I circled him, growling in warning. The crowd behind me had nearly erupted into an outright riot at my actions, but I paid them no attention. The only thing that mattered was exposing the man before me.

Lucius glared up at me, his gray eyes growing darker with anger. He moved to stand up and I lunged forward, snapping my teeth a mere hairsbreadth away from his face. This dance happened several more times before cries of outrage spilled to my ears.

"Someone control that wild animal!"

"That wolf is going to kill him!"

"Is this what the Inquisition is? Using wild animals to maim us if we are to disagree with them?"

I glanced to the side, seeing a blue flicker around the Lord Seeker and myself, no doubt a barrier that Solas had erected to keep out anyone who would think of interfering. Cassandra and Celeste had their hands on their weapons as they attempted to contain the crowd and the Lord Seeker's lackeys simultaneously. A trying job I did not envy them for.

In my distraction, I failed to notice the Lord Seeker as he aimed a strike at me. I managed to just barely dodge his fist, and refocused my attention on him. He tried to get up again, but I was having none of it. Against my better judgment, I let my teeth snap closed on his cheek, and the reaction was nearly instantaneous. He growled, and his face bubbled and warped as the demon crawled beneath his skin. I took a couple hasty steps back as the demon shed its skin and let out an ear piercing screech of defiance.

The demon was flesh colored, built like an abnormally tall, yet well muscled human male. It had four arms, long legs that connected to a long torso and a long, bulky neck that connected to a grotesque bald head laced with angry red lacerations. One yellow eye glared balefully at me. I ran forward, teeth snapping at the long and muscular legs of my opponent.

The demon was able to read my movements, and easily side-stepped me. I felt a sharp sting along my ribs as I flew past, and I turned to see the demon extend red tipped claws towards me as it screeched again. My left side felt like it was on fire, and I knew that the creature before me had most likely torn right through my thick white fur. We hadn't expected a fight today, and so we had left my armor off today in an attempt to keep the Chantry from thinking we had come for a fight. Solas had also left his armor behind, opting to wear only his cream tunic and green breeches. Even Cassandra and Celeste were wearing lighter armor than normal. The only one who had come remotely prepared was Varric.

I stepped forward to square off with the demon again, another growl rumbling from my throat. This time I waited for the demon to make a move, and as the creature before me began to step towards me, a well aimed bolt from Bianca pierced the creature's neck. It roared in displeasure, and whirled to face the rogue when a slash from Cassandra's short sword severed the muscle of one of its legs. The demon fell to its knees with a sharp cry of pain. Both the warriors fell on the demon, swords glinting harshly in the sunlight. Black, foul smelling blood flew through the air as blades sunk deep. Solas finished the demon off with incinerating fire, and it crumbled to ash before scattering on the breeze.

* * *

 **AN:** So in the first version of this, I had Celeste go with the Templars without ever going to Redcliffe to speak with the Mages. I struggled to write out those chapters, because I personally dislike going with the templars. The way things happen here, I can recruit some templars because the envy demon is gone, and I can put my own twist on the time magic in Redcliffe. Just another blow to Coryphenis' plans.

As always thanks for the favorites, follows and reviews! I hope I continue to write to your expectations!


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